Breaking the Contract

Deep beneath the Minamoto residence, in the subterranean prison within the dry well, Minamoto no Yorimasa had seized a golden opportunity in his battle against Seimei and his companions. Using the vengeful spirits that always lurked in his shadow, he had successfully possessed Seimei's physical body, rendering the young onmyoji completely unable to move. Just as he prepared to finish Seimei off, a sharp blade pierced through his chest from behind.

Yorimasa stared in shock as the blade emerged from his sternum. He turned back with a look of pure astonishment to see a familiar figure.

"Nura... Rihyon!!"

"Ha... I didn't expect the young lord of the Minamoto clan to still remember me. Last time we fought, I was careless and you spotted me, so I decided to be a bit more cautious this time..." Standing behind Yorimasa with the bloody blade in hand, Nura Rihyon spoke with a calm, mocking smile.

Back when Miketsu was purging the fox-hunter Ishikawa, Rihyon and Yorimasa had already clashed once. At that time, Rihyon had used Kyouka Suigetsu to launch a surprise attack, but the shadow spirits hiding around Yorimasa had detected him and warned their master, causing the ambush to fail.

Rihyon remembered that encounter vividly. Therefore, when facing Yorimasa again tonight, he didn't rush to reveal himself. Instead, he maintained the state of Kyouka Suigetsu and kept his distance, ensuring the shadow spirits could not sense his presence while he waited for the perfect opening.

When Seimei charged toward Yorimasa, the latter was forced to use his hidden shadow spirits to possess him, momentarily losing his protection. Rihyon seized that exact moment to strike decisively.

As the blade twisted in his chest, shredding his internal organs, Yorimasa gritted his teeth and lunged forward. By throwing his body ahead, he forced the blade out of his chest. Blood geysered from the wound, staining his robes a deep, morbid crimson.

"Damn you... All of you yokai can go to hell!"

Yorimasa roared in fury. The demon control token in his hand and his longsword both flared with light. He intended to recall the vengeful spirits and command the white fox to attack Rihyon. However, Rihyon was not about to let him succeed. He stepped forward instantly, delivering another slash toward the reeling Yorimasa. Though Yorimasa tried to dodge, the blade caught him, severing the arm that held the demon control token.

"AAAAAGH!"

Yorimasa's scream echoed through the chamber as he collapsed backward. The nearest vengeful spirits reached him just in time; the entities that had been possessing Seimei abandoned the boy's body and swirled around Yorimasa, lifting him into the air to carry him away from Rihyon. Rihyon didn't give chase immediately. Instead, he looked toward the air where the wooden plaque had flown from Yorimasa's severed hand. He reached out, catching the falling demon control token with precision, then tossed it toward Seimei.

"Here. This is the toy you said you needed, Seimei."

"Thank you, Nura."

Having just recovered from the possession, Seimei reached out and caught the token. Before he could say anything else, a demonic flame Bullet streaked toward them. Still in his partially transformed state, Seimei dodged urgently along with Rihyon. They watched as the fox demon charged at them again, still bound by Yorimasa's previous command.

Seeing this, Seimei leaped high above the fox. Simultaneously, he poured his spiritual power into the demon control token, causing it to emit a brilliant, dazzling flash.

"By the Nine Chapters of Law, I pardon the name and break the contract! Hakuzosu... Swiftly as commanded!"

Following Seimei's incantation, the demon control token was shattered by his overwhelming spiritual power, bursting into countless fragments. The forced contract contained within instantly collapsed, and the spiritual energy from the broken spell filled the entire space.

The moment the token was pulverized, the unnatural light in the fox's eyes faded, and the violent aura vanished. He stood still, his expression turning serene, as Seimei slowly descended to land before him.

"Onmyoji brat... you..."

Having calmed down, Hakuzosu looked at the young boy with an expression of inexplicable complexity.

"My name is Seimei. I told you that a long time ago. I promised I would find your name and grant you your freedom. Now, I have fulfilled that promise," Seimei said to Hakuzosu with a peaceful smile.

While Seimei was celebrating the liberation of Hakuzosu, Yorimasa—severely wounded and rescued by his spirits—witnessed the scene. Overcome by rage and frustration, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. The shock made him realize the gravity of his injuries: a pierced chest and a severed arm. Without immediate treatment, he would soon die from blood loss and shock.

"Hey, now isn't the time for a reunion. The enemy hasn't been completely wiped out yet," Rihyon interrupted, cutting off the potential long conversation between Seimei and Hakuzosu. He pointed his blade toward the distant Yorimasa.

"Pay the price! Onmyoji of the Minamoto!"

Seeing Yorimasa, Hakuzosu turned his head in a rage and spat a demonic flame Bullet at him. Seimei also threw several talismans. However, while these attacks were mid-flight, a sudden change occurred.

BOOM!

With a thunderous crash, the wall of the underground grotto shattered. Amidst the roar of crumbling rock and soil, a massive, elongated body burst through the stone wall and into the chamber. With a sharp hiss, it intercepted the flame bullet and the talismans. As the dust settled, the intruder's form became clear: a giant, armored centipede over ten meters long. On both sides of every segment of its body, a ghastly demonic mask was etched.

"What..."

"That's... a Demon-Faced Centipede..."

Seimei murmured as he stared at the sudden arrival. They all noticed a figure in black standing atop the centipede's head—one of Yorimasa's most loyal subordinates, who had gone to execute a separate mission earlier.

"Lord Yorimasa, are you alright?!"

As the vengeful spirits carried Yorimasa onto the back of the Demon-Faced Centipede, others brought his severed hand—still gripping the token—back to his side. The black-clad man, holding his own demon control token to command the centipede, asked with deep respect upon seeing Yorimasa’s state.

"Wheeze... cough... How is the situation on your end?" Yorimasa asked, using the freezing aura of the vengeful spirits to frost his wounds and temporarily staunch the bleeding.

"Our operation went perfectly, Lord Yorimasa. The tokens you provided have already brought the target yokai under control, and they have all been fed the fragments of divine power. The remaining fragments were crushed and mixed into the fodder of the yokai who haven't been turned into shikigami yet. Half of the yokai in the entire dungeon are now tainted by that power."

"Excellent. Continue with the plan. Use the burrowing yokai to send them all to the surface! Now, get me out of here. I need to see the Divine Messenger..."