Heian-kyo's Greater Imperial Palace. The Onmyoryo was exceptionally quiet late at night. At this hour, aside from the guards and a few onmyoji on duty, everyone else had long since gone home.
The Onmyoryo's Astronomical Pavilion was located on the top floor of a five-story pagoda. At this moment, it was still illuminated by a few lamps. Kamo no Tadayuki, his temples tinged with white, sat alone in the pavilion, drawing the positions of the stars on a white sheet of paper with a brush, silently performing various calculations in his mind.
Suddenly, Kamo no Tadayuki paused his brush and focused, his brow furrowing slightly. He stopped writing, raised his head to look out the window toward the northeast, then performed several hand seals with his fingers before letting out a long sigh. The furrow in his brow immediately smoothed out.
Just then, a disturbance rippled through the space, drawing Kamo no Tadayuki's attention from the window back to the room. A moment later, a black-haired boy in ornate clothes materialized out of thin air and bowed respectfully to Kamo no Tadayuki.
"Lord Fujiwara no Saneyori is downstairs seeking an audience."
"Mm, please show him up." Kamo no Tadayuki nodded. The black-haired boy's figure vanished on the spot. Soon, the sound of footsteps came from downstairs, and a man entered the pavilion from the corridor.
He was a man of about thirty, wearing a Suieikan cap and a luxurious Kariginu. He was clean-shaven, with sharp eyes and a handsome face.
"To see the Astronomical Pavilion still lit at the Hour of the Dog, I knew it must be you, Lord Tadayuki, still working through the night. Hehe, Lord Tadayuki is truly a model for all practitioners of Shugendo in the realm."
The man named Fujiwara no Saneyori smiled and bowed as he stepped into the room.
"You flatter me, Lord Saneyori. Please, have a seat." Kamo no Tadayuki returned the bow and gestured for Fujiwara no Saneyori to sit opposite him. After the man was seated, he continued, "What brings you here, Lord Saneyori? I doubt it's just for a chat."
"Haha, you're as direct as ever, Lord Tadayuki." Seeing Kamo no Tadayuki's attitude, Fujiwara no Saneyori laughed, then skipped the pleasantries he had prepared and got straight to the point.
"I had no intention of disturbing you, Lord Tadayuki, but as I was passing the Astronomical Pavilion just now, I suddenly sensed a great surge of demonic energy from the northeast. That's why I came up to discuss it with you. After all, we cannot be careless about such a yokai appearing so close to the capital." As he spoke, Fujiwara no Saneyori's expression grew serious.
"Mm, I sensed it as well. Such demonic energy... it's certainly no ordinary yokai…"
"Then where do you think the problem lies, Lord Tadayuki? Could it be a general of a Yokai King passing through? A sealed yokai reawakening? Or perhaps... Enryaku-ji." Fujiwara no Saneyori listed his guesses, and Kamo no Tadayuki listened with an unchanged expression.
"Lately, the Yokai Kings have been keeping their subordinates on a tight leash. They should all know to at least keep a low profile around Heian-kyo. Last month, the Bureau sent people to inspect all the seals around the capital, and there were no abnormalities. As for Enryaku-ji... if there were truly a problem there, a messenger from the Tendai Zasu would have arrived by now." Kamo no Tadayuki analyzed calmly.
"Then where do you believe the problem is, Lord Tadayuki?" Fujiwara no Saneyori asked, hearing his own guesses dismissed.
"Yasunori and Yasuharu are currently organizing the selection trial over there. I expect their shikigami will arrive soon. We'll know then," Kamo no Tadayuki continued, his demeanor unhurried.
"The young master and Ono no Yasuharu? Will they be in danger?"
"I've already performed a divination. Although they are on the verge of danger, their lifelines are fine." As Kamo no Tadayuki spoke, a cry suddenly echoed from the sky. A giant, monstrous bird flew into the pavilion through the window and respectfully placed a small bamboo tube from its claws onto Kamo no Tadayuki's desk.
"It's here…" Kamo no Tadayuki glanced at Fujiwara no Saneyori, then picked up the bamboo tube, spread a fresh sheet of paper on the desk, unstopped the tube, and poured its contents onto the paper. It was filled with black ink.
Once on the paper, the ink seemed to come alive, splitting into countless small blots that swam across the sheet like little tadpoles. These black ink blots followed a certain pattern, twisting and changing into a kanji character upon reaching their designated positions. In a short time, all the ink from the bamboo tube had formed a short text.
Kamo no Tadayuki picked up the paper and read it carefully, his brow furrowing.
"It seems the problem is in the Forest of Transformation and Slaughter. The yokai appeared inside it."
"The Forest of Transformation and Slaughter?... That's very strange. Wasn't it a gift from the Minamoto Clan? How could such a yokai be inside?" Fujiwara no Saneyori's eyebrows shot up when he heard the forest was the source of the trouble.
"Indeed... We also inspected this forest carefully but found no issues." Kamo no Tadayuki put the paper down and continued.
"Now is not the time to dwell on that. We must urgently send reinforcements. According to Yasuharu's report, dealing with that yokai will require a team led by at least a Junior Secretary."
"Then allow me to go."
Fujiwara no Saneyori suddenly volunteered, which Kamo no Tadayuki had not expected.
"Lord Saneyori, you are a Senior Secretary. The situation as it stands does not yet require your personal intervention."
"Any matter concerning the safety of Heian-kyo is no small affair. We must extinguish this crisis at its root as quickly as possible," Fujiwara no Saneyori said with conviction, looking at Kamo no Tadayuki. Seeing his resolve, Kamo no Tadayuki said no more.
"Hah... Since you are willing to take action, Lord Saneyori, that is for the best. Please make your preparations immediately. And please, take enough men to ensure there are no mistakes."
"Understood."
…
Within the Forest of Transformation and Slaughter, in a clearing amidst the dark, dense woods, Miketsu drew the final symbol on the ground with her hand. She then stood up, looked at her work, and couldn't help but sigh.
On the flat earth, a magic circle, drawn purely by hand, enveloped Miketsu, Tsuruha, and Yura. Although many parts were drawn irregularly, neither perfectly round nor perfectly square, it thankfully contained all the necessary components of the array from the scroll.
As someone with no artistic talent, this was the best Miketsu could manage.
According to the scroll's description, this was called a Concealment Array. It could eliminate spiritual power and auras, used to hide from a yokai's pursuit. However, Miketsu wasn't sure if an array drawn by someone like her, who had no spiritual power, would even work.
"I've finished drawing. So, Yura, what should I do nex—" Miketsu turned around, wanting to hear Yura's next instructions.
But at that moment, she saw that Yura had already fainted and was lying unconscious on the ground.
"Yura!"
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