Absorption

Beneath the dense forest to the west of Heian-kyo, within a massive cavern carved out by yokai, flashes of eerie purple and crimson light strove against the heavy darkness. A gale of powerful demonic energy swept continuously through the hollow.

Behind the White Tiger Altar, atop the head of the statue-like Tsuchigumo, the Divine Messenger—clad in ancient armor—stood poised. He plunged his demonic sword precisely between the beast's eight eyes. A torrent of sinister power surged from the blade into Tsuchigumo’s skull. The creature's gargantuan body shuddered; its stone-like skin began to fissure, peeling away in slabs that shattered upon the cavern floor, revealing the dark, reddish-black carapace beneath.

"Rise, Tsuchigumo!" the Divine Messenger bellowed. The seal on his forehead pulsed with spiritual power as he gripped the demonic sword, channeling force into the beast. He was simultaneously using the White Tiger Seal to break Tsuchigumo’s bonds while using the sword to rouse it from its slumber.

With the horrific maw of its jagged pincers lurching open, a dry, raspy howl echoed through the entire cavern. Light began to pierce through Tsuchigumo's eight massive eyes. Its long limbs, each dozens of meters in length, stretched and shifted, shedding the last of their stony coating. It heaved its immense body upward, shaking off the piles of boulders that had pinned it down as it slowly rose.

Seeing that the beast beneath him had regained its vitality, the Divine Messenger’s lips curled into a faint smirk. With a sharp twist, the demonic sword snapped with a crystalline crack. The broken blade buried itself deep within Tsuchigumo’s head, while the sword in the messenger's hand rapidly regenerated in a flash of light. His task complete, the messenger leaped down, landing squarely upon the White Tiger Altar below.

"Tsuchigumo... it has awakened," Minamoto no Yorimasa murmured, staring at the beast as it stirred.

"Indeed. It shall be our strongest line of defense, intercepting the joint forces of the Onmyoryo and Owl to buy time for the descent of our Lord’s power..." The Divine Messenger looked up at the Tsuchigumo, which had fully broken free of its seals, its eight eyes gleaming with madness. He shouted, "Seek your revenge, Tsuchigumo! Unleash centuries of suppressed fury upon the humans who sealed you! Destroy the enemies who stole your domain!"

"Re... venge!!"

Opening its hideous mouth, Tsuchigumo let out a piercing shriek. It craned its head toward the thick ceiling. Standing at its full height, it swung a limb like a siege hammer against the roof. With a thunderous roar, the rock collapsed. After several strikes, Tsuchigumo punched through the stone, creating a wide tunnel to the surface. It dug its many legs into the rock walls and began to climb, widening the passage as it squeezed its way out. Debris rained down as the sounds of destruction thundered through the empty cavern. The Divine Messenger watched in silence.

"I cannot control it completely, but fortunately, its hatred for the humans who sealed it centuries ago is etched into its very soul. A little guidance is all it takes to turn that malice toward Heian-kyo. A most convenient and reliable pawn..."

As Tsuchigumo vanished toward the surface, the Divine Messenger turned back to the White Tiger Altar. He looked at the bronze disc in the center—etched with the abstract design of a tiger—and tightened his grip on the demonic sword.

"It is time."

Seeing this, Minamoto no Yorimasa hesitated before asking, "Lord Messenger... can the power of the White Tiger Seal alone truly summon our Lord? If our Lord can grant us power through the sacred sword and rituals, why must we rely on external forces to facilitate his descent?"

The Divine Messenger turned to him and spoke tonelessly. "As I told you, our Lord is sealed within the gap between the human realm and the Underworld. While he can project a portion of his power through the boundary wall, that is an internal force pushing outward. Such force is inherently weakened and suppressed by the seal itself; it lacks the nature and strength to shatter the seal from within. However, force applied from the outside can achieve this. The power of the White Tiger Seal is sufficient to shake the seal to its foundations."

Yorimasa’s brows twitched. "So, we need the White Tiger Seal's power from this world to link with the Lord in the gap?"

"Precisely. By using the demonic sword to focus the White Tiger Seal’s power and drive it into the gap, we can temporarily tear a rift in the boundary. The stronger the power, the wider the rift. While the power of one of the Four Symbols is not enough to allow our Lord’s true form to descend, it is enough to project a massive surge of his power into this world... In this age where the gods are confined to the Celestial Realm, nothing in the human realm can withstand such a force." The Divine Messenger smiled, his face reflecting a touch of triumph.

"Heh... there is no better choice than using the power of the Four Symbols Array for this. To destroy the seal using its own power—nothing could be more fitting." The messenger stepped onto the bronze disc. The White Tiger Seal on his forehead and the disc beneath his feet began to glow in rhythmic resonance.

Standing upon the disc, the messenger could feel the torrent of spiritual power flowing beneath him. This was a node in the ley lines, coursing with the magnificent power of nature itself. His goal was to harness this god-like energy to create the bridge to the gap.

"The Three Great Clans likely still have no idea what the true purpose of the power they have relied on for so long really is."

With that, the Divine Messenger raised the demonic sword high and plunged it violently into the center of the bronze disc. A blinding white light erupted, and the entire cave began to vibrate violently—a tremor far more intense than the one caused by Tsuchigumo’s awakening.

Amidst the sound of shattering metal, countless cracks radiated from the sword’s entry point across the bronze disc. Wild, primordial spiritual power erupted from these fissures, converging into the demonic sword. The blade greedily swallowed the energy, devouring every scrap of power.