Controlling the Yokai

High in the sky above the outskirts of Heian-kyo, between the dense forests and the moon's silver disc, Makoto soared with her wide, bright yellow wings, flying at high speeds toward the capital. Her black robes whipped by the evening wind, Miketsu sat atop Makoto’s back in her guise as Owl, her gaze fixed sternly ahead. Beside her sat Menreiki, calm and composed.

Far behind Makoto followed several massive yokai birds, carrying the rest of Miketsu’s yokai followers and tanuki. Since these avian yokai could not match Makoto's speed, the distance between them was gradually widening.

"According to you, that man didn't just seize your White Tiger Seal; he also took something called the Gentian Iron Token. What is its purpose?" Miketsu asked from her perch on Makoto's back.

"Cough... cough... Holding the Gentian Iron Token essentially grants passage through all the restrictions and barriers of the main house. One can move freely within any of the forbidden grounds... When used in conjunction with Minamoto blood, it can also unlock all the demon control tokens stored in the clan's vault, allowing him to command the vast number of shikigami we have converted over the centuries... I do not know exactly what he intends to do with that token..."

Clad in battered armor, Minamoto no Mitsunaka was gripped in Makoto's talons. He wheezed and coughed against the gale-force winds, clearly finding his current position far from comfortable.

"Are you saying that with that iron token, all of your Minamoto shikigami can be controlled by him?" Miketsu’s brow furrowed, her voice sharpening with concern.

"Cough... It would be impossible to control all of them. Controlling shikigami requires mental energy, and the number of shikigami in the main house is not something just a few people could handle... Humans, after all, have their limits," Mitsunaka explained. In any other situation, he would never have adopted such a cooperative tone with a yokai like Owl, but the urgency of the moment demanded his full compliance.

He might not be able to control them all at once... but perhaps he doesn't need full control for his plan, Miketsu thought. Before she could dwell on it, Mitsunaka spoke again.

"As things stand, the Gentian Iron Token isn't the primary concern. The most worrying thing is still the White Tiger Seal. Since that thief was able to bypass the bloodline ward to seize it, it proves he can likely use it as well... I am not sure what his ultimate goal is, but if he intends to use the White Tiger Seal against Heian-kyo, the consequences will be catastrophic."

After hearing Mitsunaka’s words, Miketsu fell into a silent, pensive state. She knew the Ancient Warrior’s objective was undoubtedly Heian-kyo and the Four Symbols Corresponding Grand Array. With the White Tiger Seal in his hands, he was definitely planning something major. From his previous actions, it seemed his goal was to activate all the seals of the Four Symbols Array. Yet, if that were the case, he could have triggered the seals immediately upon reaching the capital, forcing the Fujiwara to activate the Vermilion Bird Seal in response. Instead, the capital remained calm, with no large-scale disturbances—a situation she found deeply suspicious.

"So... what exactly is your goal, you persistent ghost of the imperial family?"

...

Deep beneath the Minamoto residence, in a dry well sealed by a massive boulder, a white fox with two large, swaying tails stood in the center of an Onmyo array. He was on high alert, staring ferociously at the iron gate at the entrance of the underground chamber. Minamoto no Yorimasa and Sekibanki stood there with grins on their faces. In Yorimasa's hand, a wooden plaque inscribed with the name 'Hakuzosu' emitted a strange light.

"You... you... it's you again..." Gritting his teeth, the two-tailed fox yokai fought desperately against the constraints of the spell. His body moved as if it no longer belonged to him, forcing him to take one agonizing step after another toward Yorimasa.

"Hehe, after all this time, you’re still resisting the spell's control? You truly are the one I value most among the clan's shikigami. I had hoped to take my time training you properly in the future, but unfortunately, circumstances are special. I must use certain methods to make you submit immediately." As Yorimasa spoke, he pulled a fragment stained with a purple-red, evil aura from his sleeve. The moment the fox demon saw the fragment, his entire body shuddered.

"What are you trying to do?! What on earth is that thing?!" the fox demon cried out in shock. Yorimasa did not answer; instead, he commanded in a cold tone:

"Eat it."

Yorimasa’s voice was infused with spiritual power, exerting a direct influence on the fox demon. It forced him to walk forward and open his mouth with great difficulty. Just as Yorimasa was about to toss the fragment into the fox's maw, a youthful, spirited voice rang out from behind him.

"Thunder Charm: Swift Extinction!"

Behind Yorimasa, the white-haired young onmyoji threw out several talismans. They flashed in the air before transforming into a bright arc of lightning that bolted toward Yorimasa.

The evil spirit shikigami acting as Yorimasa’s shadow-guardian immediately alerted him the moment Seimei appeared. Yorimasa rolled to the side the instant the talismans were thrown, narrowly dodging the lightning. However, the electric arc still struck the floating fragment with precision, knocking it far away before it could fall into the fox's mouth.

"Abe no Seimei!!" Yorimasa scrambled to his feet and turned toward the other end of the tunnel, roaring in anger at the young onmyoji. He gripped the demon control token and barked another order.

"Kill him!"

Controlled by the spell's power, the two-tailed fox was forced to turn toward Seimei. With a pained expression, he opened his mouth and, with visible reluctance, spat a demonic flame Bullet directly at the boy.

"Kotodama... Shield!"

Seimei formed a hand seal, conjuring a translucent barrier that blocked the incoming flame. An explosion followed, and the entire tunnel was suddenly filled with thick, billowing dust.

From within the dust, a figure lunged forward at high speed toward Yorimasa. It was Ubume, wielding her closed umbrella like a blade!

"Umbrella Sword!"

Ubume’s demonic energy coiled around the long umbrella as she lunged at Yorimasa. At that moment, another of Yorimasa's demon control tokens glowed. Sekibanki, who had been standing silently by, saw her eyes light up.

"Protect me."

Obeying the command, the massive Sekibanki rushed in front of Yorimasa with unnatural speed. He used his chest to intercept Ubume’s umbrella sword. The weapon pierced straight through him, yet Sekibanki showed no sign of pain. Ignoring the wound in his chest, he reached out with his massive hands to grab Ubume. Sensing the danger, Ubume kicked off Sekibanki’s chest to pull her weapon free and executed a backflip, landing safely on the ground.

By now, Seimei had emerged from the tunnel into the open space beneath the dry well. Yorimasa looked at the enemies who had suddenly appeared to disrupt his plans. Clutching the demon control token in one hand and drawing a longsword wreathed in vengeful spirits with the other, he spoke venomously.

"Abe no Seimei... Ubume... Anyone who dares to interfere with my business, be they man or yokai, will die right here!"