Trembling

In Heian-kyo, on the ravaged western battlefield, the Great Snake slowly writhed its thick, massive body, curving its way towards the fray. As the Great Snake approached, both humans and Yokai on the battlefield momentarily flinched and retreated, yet none showed any intention of fleeing.

Earlier, when they were paralyzed by the Great Snake's oppressive aura, Miketsu's thunderous cry had awakened everyone. This cry wasn't merely about dispelling the Great Snake's pressure; it had also strengthened their will and resolve, allowing them to maintain their composure even as the Great Snake drew near.

“Tch... where did this monster come from now? It's endless.” With an extremely displeased tone and expression, Mokou, observing the Great Snake from the sky, clenched her fists. The fiery wings on her back now blazed even more intensely.

“This is an ancient evil from a distant past... we are not its match...” Beside Mokou, Menreiki diligently reassembled her fragmented masks. Though her tone remained indifferent, her expression now held a gravity never seen before.

Mokou and Menreiki were the most powerful individuals present, in terms of energy level, and had been the primary attackers against Tsuchigumo. Their formidable strengths stemmed from distinct sources: one relied on the jutsu-shiki knowledge granted by the Vermilion Bird Seal and the endless energy derived from her immortal body's self-immolation; the other depended on the immense demonic power born from the corruption of her naturally endowed spiritual power, as well as the Mask of Kawakatsu...

“Onmyoji, this snake is incomparable to the Tsuchigumo we faced earlier... Our goal is to stall for as long as possible... Hm?”

Menreiki spoke to Mokou with a solemn voice, but to her surprise, Mokou was already charging straight towards the Great Snake, leaving a trail of flames.

“Stop with the pointless talk! We'll find out how strong this guy is by trying!” Completely disregarding any danger, Mokou shouted as she rushed before the Great Snake. Flames enveloped her body, rapidly expanding and transforming her into a crying firebird, which then soared directly at the Great Snake.

Facing the swiftly approaching firebird, the Great Snake's long tail struck with unexpected, astonishing speed, lashing out mid-air. Amidst a loud sonic boom, the Great Snake's long tail accurately hit the enormous firebird. The impact from the sonic boom was so powerful that even Menreiki, standing not far away, could feel it.

Struck by the Great Snake's high-speed tail whip, the firebird that Mokou had transformed into was instantly dispersed. Her entire body was shattered into countless pieces by the immense force, scattering in the direction the snake's tail had swung. Only the eyes on her head showed an unexpected astonishment. Although the Great Snake was even larger than Tsuchigumo, its speed was infinitely greater. To wield such speed and precision with such a massive physique was something Tsuchigumo could never achieve. Mokou should not expect to restrain the Great Snake using the same methods she used for Tsuchigumo.

Facing Mokou, who had been shattered into fragments and scattered afar, the Great Snake opened its mouth and began to gather energy. It seemed to understand Mokou's immortality and intended to further annihilate her, preventing her from quickly recovering and causing more trouble. Mokou would need a considerable amount of time to recover from a state of complete physical annihilation.

Just as a purplish-red glow reappeared within the Great Snake's mouth, a figure leaped onto the Great Snake's body in a few bounds. It was Onikiri, wielding blades in both hands. Under Minamoto no Yorimitsu's command, Onikiri rejoined the battle: “Ghost Shadow Flash!”

Onikiri's figure became a blur, darting across the Great Snake's back. The three swords in his hands were drawn simultaneously and used in alternation, unleashing continuous flashes of sword light and blade shadows amidst an incessant ringing. Countless slashes rained down upon the Great Snake's body, sparks flying between blade and scale, the clang of steel echoing like a blacksmith's hammer.

None of Onikiri's countless slashes could penetrate the Great Snake's scales. Even its relatively vulnerable underbelly proved impenetrable to his blades. The Great Snake let out a low growl and began to writhe its body, as if trying to crush an irritating insect, but Onikiri's exquisite footwork allowed him to evade all dangers, continuing his relentless assault upon the Great Snake with steady movements.

Realizing his attacks were completely ineffective, he began to hack his way upwards along the long serpentine body. He sought a more vulnerable target: the Great Snake's eyes!

Onikiri sped towards the Great Snake's head, but the Great Snake grew impatient with his persistence. It simply aimed its mouth downwards and, with a slightly gathered burst of energy, spat out a purplish-red energy orb, much smaller than before, which struck the ground beneath it and exploded outwards.

The astonishing explosion enveloped the Great Snake's massive body and everything around it. Onikiri, who was on the Great Snake, was directly caught in the blast and blown far away, plummeting from the sky, breaking two large trees, and finally smashing a giant rock before coming to a halt. His swords lay scattered around him. He himself spat out a large mouthful of blood and tried to stand, but was immediately pulled back down by his severe internal and external injuries.

Meanwhile, the Great Snake remained unharmed by its own attack. Just as it prepared to continue slithering towards Heian-kyo, a massive, intricate Magical Array, brimming with spiritual power, formed beneath it, and curtains of light rose around its perimeter.

Under command, the Onmyoji had urgently completed their deployment adjustments during the brief time the Great Snake was occupied with Onikiri and Mokou, forming a Magical Array specifically targeting the Great Snake. Simultaneously, Menreiki's preparations were also complete.

After a moment of accumulation, an enhanced seven-colored Demonic Energy Cannon shot forth from the masks circling Menreiki's outstretched hand. This was the same cannon Menreiki had used to completely pierce Tsuchigumo.

The Great Snake turned its head towards the incoming energy cannon and, without any accumulation, immediately spat out a massive purplish-red beam of light from its mouth to meet it. The Great Snake's beam directly dispersed the incoming seven-colored Demonic Energy Cannon and struck straight at Menreiki. Ultimately, it was only through Makoto's daring intervention that Menreiki avoided being hit directly.

The beam spat out by the Great Snake missed Menreiki but pierced through the surrounding light curtains of the Magical Array. The Great Snake twisted its head, sweeping it around, and all the surrounding light curtains were instantly shattered by this sword-like beam. The Onmyoji's grand array collapsed in an instant, and countless Onmyoji, including Seimei, who suffered spiritual power backlash, all spat out mouthfuls of blood.

“This is bad...”

Clutching his chest, Seimei sat on the ground, gazing up despairingly at the colossal Great Snake. Within its mouth, immense energy was once again accumulating. Seimei's intuition told him that the Great Snake's next strike would destroy everything around them, and death awaited everyone.

In the dim sky, a golden ray of light pierced through the darkness, descending directly from the boundless heavens and landing on the other side of the battlefield. This light captured the Great Snake's attention, causing it to turn its head in that direction.

Bathed in a dazzling yet gentle, sacred yet not intimidating light, Miketsu stood. Dressed in white robes and scarlet hakama, adorned with the Heavenly Mirror Crown, a transcendent aura emanated from her serene face, visible in her gaze...

At this moment, Miketsu held her divine tablet in her left hand and the Blade of the Three Realms in her right. On the stone divine tablet, the characters “Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami” glowed faintly, subtly twisting, appearing both solid and ethereal.

The Blade of the Three Realms began a complex transformation amidst a burst of brilliant light. When the radiance faded, a magnificent bow appeared in Miketsu's hand, featuring a central grip, recurved limbs, and adorned with golden rice ear patterns.

“Divine Qian... Heavenly Bow...”