The End of the Grudge

"Finally, he's attached... I've been waiting for so long..."

The Spirit-Engraving Spear transformed into a cold flash and pierced the ground, impaling Mokou—who was possessed by Prince Nagaya—straight through her back and pinning her firmly to the earth. Clad in her kariginu, Miketsu slowly descended beneath the white moon and landed on the ground. Watching Mokou, who was being controlled by Prince Nagaya as she struggled and roared, Miketsu spoke calmly.

"Be quiet for a moment..."

Miketsu withdrew a golden scroll from the sleeve of her kariginu and tossed it into the air. The Sacred Scroll of Manifest Wisdom moved like a dragon, unfurling against the wind and encircling Miketsu as bursts of Sanskrit chanting echoed from within. Miketsu gripped the spear with one hand and held the other in a prayer gesture, beginning to chant along with the scroll. Although she did not read Sanskrit, she relied on this method to recite the scriptures, using herself as a medium to release their power.

"Esoteric Mantra of Evil Subjugation!"

Invoking power in the name of Dakini-ten, Miketsu chanted while driving the Spell-Imprinting spirit spear. Golden mantras manifested on the spear and flowed downward, traveling from the shaft onto Mokou’s body and rapidly spreading until they covered her entirely.

Any spell Miketsu released using herself as a medium could be imprinted onto anything via the spirit spear, as long as it was a type that functioned through markings; Buddhist scriptures were no exception. Now, Miketsu was imprinting the Esoteric Mantra of Evil Subjugation—provided by Byakuren—onto Mokou’s body to its maximum extent to seal and suppress the vengeful spirit of Prince Nagaya.

As the golden Sanskrit mantras covered Mokou, Prince Nagaya’s power was visibly suppressed. Mokou’s struggling and roaring weakened significantly, and the green light in her eyes began to fade. This development was immediately felt by Minamoto no Yorimasa thousands of miles away, causing his expression to pale.

"Divine Messenger! My control over Prince Nagaya is weakening!" Sweat poured down his forehead as he spoke nervously.

"What happened? Did the Fujiwara immortal fail to activate the Vermilion Bird Seal?" The Divine Messenger asked in surprise, clearly taken aback.

"It was almost successful... but she was interrupted by an attack from behind! And now, that assailant seems to be attempting to seal Prince Nagaya!" Yorimasa relayed the situation as he perceived it. He primarily understood the situation through the vengeful spirit's senses, but while possessed, those senses were limited by the host’s own perception—meaning he could not see what Mokou could not see.

"Prince Nagaya cannot be sealed... there is no better weapon against the Fujiwara Clan than him. Manipulate him to leave the Fujiwara immortal's body at once!" the Divine Messenger commanded decisively.

"But Divine Messenger... the Vermilion Bird Seal is still on her."

"We can't worry about that now. As long as we have Prince Nagaya, dealing with the Fujiwara will be easy. We can go after the Vermilion Bird Seal another time."

The Divine Messenger continued, and after hearing him, Yorimasa said no more. He focused entirely on manipulating Prince Nagaya to leave Mokou’s body. During this process, he continuously projected the thought "You will be sealed if this continues!" into the spirit's mind, hoping to trigger Prince Nagaya's survival instinct to cooperate with his guidance.

Thousands of miles away, on the banks of the Kamo River, Miketsu watched as Mokou, who had been gradually quieting down, suddenly reacted violently again. Soul fire began to burn on her surface, as if the spirit of Prince Nagaya inside her was trying to tear itself out.

"Thinking of running?"

Seeing this, Miketsu increased her output of spiritual power. Instantly, the golden light of the Sanskrit on Mokou’s body grew even more dazzling, and the eerie green soul fire erupting from within was suppressed in an instant.

Miketsu had waited quite a while for Prince Nagaya to possess Mokou so she could deal with him without holding back; there was no way she would let him go so easily.

Ever since Prince Nagaya had possessed Fujiwara no Saneyori, Miketsu had been considering how to expel him. Ultimately, she realized that making him leave on his own was the most effective approach.

There was a reason Miketsu allowed Mokou to tangle with the possessed Saneyori without interfering. Mokou had an incredibly high 'aggro' rating against Prince Nagaya and infinite durability; engaging her meant a fight to the death. To escape such a situation, Prince Nagaya or his controller would inevitably seek another way to deal with her—and transferring the possession was the most effective move.

As Prince Nagaya’s power was suppressed, Mokou gradually regained her senses. She clutched her head and stood up shakily, looking at Miketsu with a slightly pained expression.

"Hiss... You finally made your move. Any later and I wouldn't have been able to hold out..." Mokou complained, rubbing her temples.

"By the way... where is that guy?"

"Still inside you, though I've temporarily suppressed him. But you know, this kind of treatment won't last forever..." Miketsu said nonchalantly, shrugging.

"Yeah, I know. I don't want to keep this bane of the Fujiwara around either." Mokou said, her expression becoming solemn.

"So, we proceed with the plan. You know what to do, right?"

"Of course, you don't need to tell me... So, do we start here?" Mokou asked, glancing at her surroundings.

"Not here, obviously. Who knows how powerful the blast will be... I'll take you somewhere safe." As Miketsu spoke, she began to float into the air again. Faint, golden celestial ribbons began to manifest around her.

"Pay attention..."

Manifesting part of her Celestial Maiden Form, Miketsu grabbed Mokou’s arm and soared into the sky. They climbed higher and higher until the things on the ground were tiny specks.

"Is... is this the 'suitable place' you mentioned?" Looking at the receding ground, Mokou felt a bit uneasy, being this high up for the first time in her life.

"Yes. If you blow up here, it shouldn't hurt anyone... So now... it's up to you!" Miketsu said. She used her monstrous strength to swing her arm and hurl Mokou even higher into the sky.

"Tsk... So much force, she nearly twisted my arm off..." After being thrown even higher, Mokou complained briefly before closing her eyes. Her will began to connect with every piece of her flesh, and even her soul.

As if sensing what was coming, the suppressed spirit of Prince Nagaya within Mokou suddenly went berserk, trying to break through Miketsu’s mantras to escape her body. Facing this, a small smile played on Mokou’s lips.

"Heh... What, trying to run now? Sorry, but you’re not getting away... Let's be destroyed together right here...

"Your grudge ends here, Prince Nagaya. Burned to nothingness with me! And then... you perish... while I am reborn..."

With that, Mokou ignited every inch of her flesh. A dazzling light erupted from within her, illuminating the night sky and destroying everything. Prince Nagaya and his endless hatred were vaporized within that brilliance.