Shadow Evasion

Deep within the Minamoto residence, beneath a withered well in a prison sealed by massive stones, Minamoto no Yorimasa was locked in a fierce battle. He commanded the Two-Tailed Giant Fox and Sekibanki against Seimei and Ubume. Yorimasa himself did not engage directly; instead, he stood to the side, focused on manipulating his shikigami with the demon control tokens in one hand while gripping a drawn longsword in the other. Vengeful spirits drifted closely around him, serving as his personal guard.

The battle beneath the dry well had split into two distinct fronts. On one side, the Two-Tailed Giant Fox faced the young Onmyoji, Seimei. The fox incessantly spat demonic flame Bullets from its maw, while Seimei deployed defensive barrier seals to intercept the blasts before counterattacking with talismans. On the other side, Ubume faced Sekibanki. Unlike the ranged exchange nearby, these two yokai were locked in a heart-pounding melee. The three-meter-tall Sekibanki swung massive fists at Ubume, who used her light, agile footwork to weave through the strikes, answering each miss with a sharp riposte from her Umbrella Sword.

Overall, the momentum favored Yorimasa. The fox’s demonic flame Bullets hammered against Seimei’s barrier, leaving a web of cracks that threatened to shatter at any moment. Furthermore, the fox possessed both remarkable agility and formidable defense; it could dodge most of Seimei’s talismans and shrug off the ones that did land. Whether they were thunder or fire charms, they seemed to have little effect on the beast's hide. Meanwhile, Ubume was having her own difficulties. Although her swift movements allowed her to evade Sekibanki's attacks and carve deep gashes into its flesh with her Umbrella Sword, the wounds healed almost instantly. Under the influence of the sinister purple-red power coursing through its veins, the creature recovered as if the injuries had never occurred.

Reliant on this high defense and rapid regeneration, Yorimasa’s side maintained a crushing pressure on Seimei and Ubume. However, unable to secure a quick victory, the battle drifted into a stalemate—and Yorimasa was far from a patient man. He had too many other important matters to attend to.

Deciding to intervene personally, Yorimasa drew his longsword and swung it through the air toward Seimei. Countless vengeful souls manifested along the blade, screaming as they lunged at the boy.

"Malicious Spirit Body Binding!"

Maintaining his barrier, Seimei saw the swarm of spirits joining the barrage of demonic flame Bullets. He immediately channeled more spiritual power into the seal, mending the cracks in the transparent hemisphere. Since the barrier was constructed of spiritual energy, it was effective against incorporeal entities and should have blocked the spirits' intrusion.

Seeing Seimei opt for defense over evasion, Yorimasa’s lips curled into a smirk. Just before the vengeful spirits struck the barrier, they suddenly swerved downward, diving straight into the rocky ground. Utilizing their ability to pass through physical matter, the spirits bypassed the thick stone floor and emerged inside the barrier's perimeter. Because Seimei’s barrier was a dome anchored to the ground rather than a complete sphere, the earth beneath his feet offered no protection.

"What?!"

Startled, Seimei tried to dodge, but the spirits were faster. They plunged into his body, forcibly possessing him. Pain contorted Seimei’s features as his hands reflexively lost their grip on his talismans and hand seals. Without his focus to sustain it, the barrier shattered.

"Kill him!"

Yorimasa seized the opening and commanded the fox to finish it. The beast unleashed a massive demonic flame Bullet at the defenseless Seimei, but in that instant, the situation shifted.

Seimei’s body, frozen by the spirits, suddenly warped and distorted. The figure of the young boy vanished, replaced by a small child with blue wings dressed in ornate robes—Donan, one of Seimei’s own shikigami!

Just as the demonic flame Bullet was about to incinerate him, Donan vanished in a burst of blue spiritual fire. In his place lay a single white paper doll and the confused vengeful spirits that had just been expelled. All were caught in the explosion and vanished in a chorus of wails.

"A Phantom Body Technique... a shikigami?" Yorimasa’s face turned ashen. It was clear now: while the fox had been hammering the barrier, Seimei had used the smoke and dust as cover to summon a shikigami to maintain the shield while he used a jutsu-shiki to hide his presence and escape the perimeter.

"Don't think you can hide from me. My servants, find the one who lurks in the shadows!" Yorimasa barked, waving his sword again. Dozens of vengeful spirits appeared, spiraling outward from him like hunting hounds searching for a hidden scent. A moment later, one spirit let out a piercing shriek. The others immediately converged on that spot. Under the crushing pressure of the spirits, Seimei’s Phantom Body Technique broke, revealing his silhouette as he sprinted away. Seeing the target, the fox immediately spat another demonic flame Bullet.

Faced with the returning spirits and the incoming blast, Seimei did not panic. His expression remained calm, though his eyes suddenly shifted into golden, vertical slits. His physical strength surged, and his speed exploded. He not only evaded the blast but also put significant distance between himself and the spirits. In this moment, Seimei had tapped into the yokai blood within him, gaining the physical prowess of a demon.

The empowered Seimei lunged directly toward Yorimasa. Seeing this, Sekibanki attempted to move back to protect its master, but the move left a massive opening for Ubume. She leaped into the air, her Umbrella Sword trailing thick demonic energy as it carved multiple arcs of light through the darkness.

"Soaring Crane Slash!"

The arcs of light tore through Sekibanki, hacking the creature into several bloody chunks that tumbled to the floor. Ubume prepared to rush to Seimei's aid, but the severed pieces of Sekibanki—animated by that foul energy—retained a horrific vitality. A detached arm and the head suddenly sprang from the ground to intercept her. An arm grabbed her leg while the head lunged at her; she was forced to jam her Umbrella Sword into the creature's mouth and trigger an explosion to blow its head apart. Even in pieces, Sekibanki had successfully pinned her down.

With his protection gone, Yorimasa was now completely exposed to Seimei’s charge. Sharp claws had grown from Seimei’s fingers, and foxfire gathered in his palms.

Yet, even in the face of this direct assault, Yorimasa showed no fear. Instead, the smile on his face widened, looking less like a victim and more like a hunter watching a prey fall into a trap.

Suddenly, several new vengeful spirits materialized out of thin air around Seimei without warning. They plunged into his body, forcing his charge to a violent halt. Seimei had seen no movement from Yorimasa to suggest a summoning, and thus had no defense against the surprise attack.

"What... more spirits? Where..." Seimei gasped, his body paralyzed. He looked at Yorimasa in disbelief. "Were they hiding near you from the start? These are... back-spirit malicious shikigami!?"

"Heh, correct. You truly are a genius Onmyoji... but unfortunately, this is as far as you go. I think I'll refine your soul into a shikigami next," Yorimasa sneered. He raised his longsword once more, prepared to end Seimei’s life. But in that moment, a sudden chill pierced his chest. A cold blade erupted from his sternum, and a calm voice whispered from behind him.

"The one who goes no further... is you."