Divine Pressure

The night had deepened. Within the dense forest where the White Tiger Seal resided, the once-ordinary woods had been utterly decimated. Jagged rubble covered the earth, and the remnants of demonic energy and spiritual power still lingered heavily over the messy battlefield, a testament to the sheer destructive force of the prior conflict.

The fall of Tsuchigumo allowed everyone present—human and yokai alike—to breathe a long sigh of relief. Despite its lack of intelligence, Tsuchigumo's massive size and physical power had exerted a heavy psychological toll; no one wanted to face such a beast head-on.

Fortunately, through the combined efforts of Owl and the masters of the Onmyo Clans, Tsuchigumo had finally been dealt with. But just as everyone prepared to clear the battlefield and handle the aftermath, unexpected events occurred in rapid succession.

First came a sharp, piercing roar that vibrated through the hearts of every human and yokai, triggering their deepest fears. Then, the converging river of blood made everyone’s skin crawl. Finally, after an earthquake that nearly knocked them off their feet, the ancient calamity finally burst through the surface and descended before them.

"Hey... Onmyoji, Seimei, my friend... what... what on earth is that thing? Do you Onmyoji just love burying monsters everywhere? One falls and another one pops up!?" Nura Rihyon stared up in a daze, watching the Great Snake whose body already towered hundreds of meters high, and spoke to the two Onmyoji beside him, Kamo no Yasunori and Seimei.

"I don't know... I have no idea... I've never heard of the Onmyoryo sealing a snake yokai this massive in my entire life," Kamo no Yasunori murmured, staring at the scene in disbelief. As the son of Kamo no Tadayuki, he possessed a vast knowledge of yokai and had pored through the archives of every seal site handled by the Onmyoryo. In his memory, there was absolutely no record of a snake demon of this magnitude. Since the capital had moved to Heian-kyo only two hundred years ago, there hadn't been that much time to seal so many monsters.

Listening to the exchange between Seimei and Nura Rihyon, Seimei’s expression turned exceptionally grim as he gazed at the distant spectacle. He swallowed hard before speaking in a low, heavy voice.

"That existence... is no snake yokai. It... is not a yokai at all..."

On a small hill overlooking the battlefield, Minamoto no Yorimitsu’s mouth hung slightly agape as he looked at the Great Snake. The confident smile he usually wore was now frozen and stiff. Behind him, Minamoto no Yorimasa, still nailed to a tree, laughed loudly and wantonly.

"Hahahaha!! The Divine Messenger has succeeded! The Great God has descended His power upon the mortal world! No one can stop this power—you, all of you, will die! That includes you, Minamoto no Yorimitsu! You’d better run with your tail between your legs while you still can! Hahahaha... Argh!"

Unable to stomach Yorimasa's insulting tone toward Yorimitsu, Onikiri gripped the blade pinning Yorimasa and gave it a twist, causing the man’s face to contort as he screamed, effectively silencing his arrogant bluster.

As for Yorimitsu, he stared straight ahead. It was a long time before he uttered a single word through his grim expression.

"A God..."

...

Elsewhere, having nearly exhausted the sacrificial blood to complete its rebirth upon surfacing, the Great Snake turned its gaze toward the distant Heian-kyo. With a low hiss, it twisted its massive frame and began to slither toward the capital, carving deep ruts into the earth.

By now, it was almost entirely restored. Its skeletal frame, once bristling with spikes, was now fully encased in flesh. Dark purple scales covered its body from head to tail in a fine, dense mesh. Its purplish-red eyes, larger than carriage wheels, emitted a terrifying glint, and its forked tongue flicked out from its maw to taste the air. Under the moonlight, the Great Snake shimmered with a dark luster, reflecting the primal fear within the hearts of all living things. Wherever its eyes fell, the spines of all creatures turned cold, and an inexplicable sensation engraved deep within their souls was awakened...

Compared to Tsuchigumo, the Great Snake exerted an unprecedented influence over the gathered beings. This influence seemed to come from the depths of their souls; it was a feeling primarily of fear, yet it was more than just fear. It encompassed submission, obedience... the sense of being enslaved and dominated... and the feeling that it was only right for things to be this way.

'Submit to Me... Obey Me... Sacrifice to Me... As it has always been... As it should be...'

It was as if ethereal voices were echoing within the hearts of all creatures. Countless humans and yokai stood frozen, staring at the Great Snake as it slithered toward them. Though their hearts were filled with extreme terror, they made no move to panic or flee. Facing the approaching serpent, their eyes were vacant. Some with weaker wills even fell to their knees involuntarily, arms spread wide as if welcoming the return of a king.

"What... there are other voices... in my head... this is..." Seimei clutched his head, murmuring through a tight frown. He could feel countless fragmented images and sounds surfacing from the depths of his own soul—fragments that seemed to carry the weight of ages far exceeding his own lifespan.

Under the Great Snake's strange pressure, the Onmyoji and the yokai seemed to lose their ability to resist before the battle had even begun. But just then, a voice suddenly rang out through the air like a clap of thunder.

"HAH!!"

This sound struck the depths of everyone's hearts like a bolt of lightning, instantly shattering the layers of daze and delusion. Suddenly, all those trapped in the Great Snake's aura snapped awake, and the sense of submission and fear rising from their souls dissipated by more than half.

Seeing the approaching serpent, a trace of panic rippled through the Onmyoji. However, at that moment, a black crow shikigami flew over each of their positions. The shikigami opened their beaks, and the voice of Kamo no Tadayuki emerged from within.

"Do not panic! Re-form your ranks immediately, change formations, and prepare to engage!!"

...

On a small slope not far from the Onmyoji lines, Miketsu stood wrapped in her tattered black robe and broken bandages, much of her skin exposed. She gazed at the scene ahead; it was she who had just used that sharp shout to dispel the pressure the Great Snake had cast over the mortals.

That "Hah!!" was an Awakening Shout. It was the shortest scripture Miketsu knew—a single syllable—but its effect was simple and direct: it dispelled mental influence across a wide area and helped the affected regain their composure. To counter the Great Snake's power, Miketsu had just performed a syncretism with Dakini-ten, using that state to drive away the divine pressure...

"Lady Uka..."

A mature female voice came from behind her. Miketsu turned to see Tsuruha, now in human form, standing there respectfully holding a tray.

On the tray lay a neatly folded set of red and white miko robes embroidered with rice ear patterns. Resting atop the garments was the exquisite, gold-trimmed Heavenly Mirror Crown. Beside the clothes and the crown sat the ancient, stone divine tablet.

Looking at these items, Miketsu let out a long breath. She picked up the stone divine tablet, looked at the characters inscribed upon it, and spoke softly.

"I still need a little more time..."