The Infiltration

The night deepened as the moon climbed high above the Upper Capital District of Heian-kyo. Within the heavily fortified Minamoto residence, countless sentries stood at their posts, their attention fixed on the unknown enemies lurking in the darkness.

"Lord Yorimasa, you’ve returned!"

"Mmm... Good work on the watch."

Clad in black, lightweight night gear, Minamoto no Yorimasa walked briskly along the Minamoto clan's corridors. The patrolling guards stopped to salute as he passed. Yorimasa offered only brief acknowledgments, moving toward his destination without pause.

After navigating several long corridors and bypassing layer upon layer of restrictions set within the estate, the number of guards increased as he approached the inner sanctum.

Eventually, Yorimasa entered a vast courtyard filled with deep, shadowy trees. Following a stone path through the forest, he arrived at a clearing. In the center stood a three-story stunted tower. To the left and right of the entrance stood two massive stone beasts, carved from pale grey rock in the likeness of ferocious lion-tigers. The moment they sensed Yorimasa, the stone beasts rumbled to life from their frozen state, baring their fangs and glaring at him with terrifying eyes.

"I am Yorimasa, son of Mitsunaka. I have come by my father's order to enter the Vault and retrieve the demon control tokens. Step aside!" Facing the snarling beasts, Yorimasa held up an iron token engraved with the Sasa Rindo crest. Upon seeing the token, the two stone beasts lowered their heads and retreated several steps, becoming as motionless as ordinary statues once more.

Ignoring the beasts, Yorimasa stepped into the tower. Inside were several shelves protected by shimmering curtains of light. Row upon row of wooden plaques hung upon these shelves.

Walking to the center of the tower, Yorimasa knelt to examine the floor, where he found a stone-carved indentation that perfectly matched the iron token in his hand.

He fitted the Gentian Iron Token into the slot. Then, he produced a small bamboo tube and poured pre-prepared dark red blood onto it. The iron token began to glow faintly, resonating with the light curtains on the shelves. Slowly, the protective barriers began to recede.

After retrieving and pocketing the iron token, Yorimasa approached one of the shelves. His gaze swept over the wooden plaques, his eyes burning with fervor.

Raiju... Okuri-inu... Sekibanki... Night Monk... The names of yokai were written on the spell-etched plaques, each representing a formidable entity. A smirk played across Yorimasa’s lips as he reached for the end of the shelf, taking the plaques down one by one.

...

Beneath the Minamoto residence lay a secret space formed by connecting natural caverns through human and yokai labor. This was the place the Minamoto clan used to imprison captured yokai and transform them into shikigami. Additionally, many successfully converted shikigami were sealed here, to be released only when the clan needed them to carry out various missions.

Within the labyrinthine tunnels, torches fixed to the walls illuminated the dim space. shadow guards in black stood at key intersections, while a few personnel patrolled the corridors. In some areas, one could see numerous talismans shimmering with spiritual light—restrictions set in advance for defense and detection.

...

"How are the preparations for Ubume’s forced contract?"

"Everything is ready. The ceremony is expected to begin in fifteen minutes."

"Mmm. Be quick about it. Try to wrap this up before Lord Mitsunaka and the others return."

...

In the tunnels, several shadow guards talked as they walked. Beside them, Nura Rihyon and Seimei stood side-by-side, watching silently as the men walked right past them, disappearing around a corner at the end of the passage.

"They mentioned Ubume. It looks like we're heading in the right direction. If we keep going this way, we should reach her cell," Nura Rihyon said casually, resting a hand on Seimei’s shoulder.

"Mmm. It seems my minor divination was actually useful. I didn't expect the special training my mentor gave me to come in handy here..." Seimei replied calmly, his eyes fixed on the end of the tunnel.

"Let's not waste any more time. You heard them—they're going to perform a forced contract ceremony to turn her into a shikigami. We have to get her out before they reach her."

"Understood."

Seimei nodded, and the two continued down the tunnel. Nura Rihyon’s ability kept them hidden, allowing them to pass right under the noses of the black-clad guards without worry. After a while, they encountered a wall of light—a barrier constructed around several floating talismans. Seeing this, Nura Rihyon glanced at Seimei.

"Little brother Seimei, looks like it's your turn again."

Seimei smiled faintly and stepped up to the barrier. He began to analyze the structure of the spell, preparing to dismantle it.

Miketsu had used Ubume as a lure. By persuading Ubume to allow herself to be captured, Miketsu could provide the Minamoto clan with specific information, baiting them into kidnapping infants so they could track the locations of the missing children. This plan, however, had resulted in Ubume falling into the clan's hands. Naturally, Miketsu could not abandon a yokai who had sacrificed herself for the sake of human children.

Thus, while Miketsu took action on her end, she had arranged for Nura Rihyon to infiltrate the Minamoto estate and rescue Ubume. Nura Rihyon’s inherent abilities allowed him to bypass eyes and ears with ease, but the Minamoto were a prestigious Onmyo clan; their dungeon was filled with magical barriers and restrictions that Nura Rihyon couldn't handle. Therefore, Miketsu, in her guise as Owl, had once again contacted the genius young onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, to lend a hand.

Miketsu remembered clearly that when she first met Seimei as Owl at Ogura Pond, he was chasing a giant two-tailed fox, calling it his friend and wanting to save it. She had later deduced that the mastermind controlling that fox was the Minamoto clan. This meant Seimei likely had a grudge against them and was well aware of their many misdeeds. After spending more time with him, Miketsu further confirmed that Seimei was an idealist who hoped for peace between humans and yokai. His wishes stood in stark contrast to the Minamoto clan's actions, giving him more than enough reason to help Miketsu thwart them.

"It's done..."

As Seimei peeled the talisman from the wall, the barrier of light vanished. Nura Rihyon, standing behind him, watched with a grin.

"You really are fast at dismantling these barriers and arrays. You truly are a genius onmyoji, just like Lord Owl said..."

"Heh, I've just had a lot of practice. I used to break in here quite often to see a friend," Seimei replied with a light chuckle. His words left Nura Rihyon visibly puzzled.

"A friend?"

"Yes, a friend who was also trapped by the Minamoto... Alright, we can continue now." Seimei didn't seem inclined to say more. He looked ahead, and Nura Rihyon didn't press him. Touching Seimei's shoulder, they continued forward.

Passing through the barrier, they moved deeper into the tunnels. Without encountering any more guards, they eventually reached a relatively wide cavern. Along the edges of the cave were several individual cells carved into the rock and sealed with heavy gates. Inside, various yokai lay or huddled, looking listless and barely conscious.

In one of the cells, they spotted Ubume.

"Found her..."

Nura Rihyon and Seimei exchanged a look and walked straight to Ubume’s cell. She was currently sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in focused meditation. Seeing this, Nura Rihyon partially deactivated his ability, revealing a hint of his presence. Ubume’s eyes snapped open, and her expression brightened with joy when she saw him.

"It’s you... Heh, Owl didn't forget his promise after all."

"Lord Owl is a man of his word. Now, let me find a way to get you out, and then we'll leave together—" Just as Nura Rihyon was about to finish, the sound of footsteps echoed from another passage connecting to the chamber. His expression tightened. He immediately cut off his speech and hid himself and Seimei once more.

Seconds later, Minamoto no Yorimasa emerged from the tunnel, followed by several men in black.