Sudden Change

In Heian-kyo during the day, the sun gradually slid from its zenith towards the west, marking the arrival of afternoon.

Minamoto no Yorimitsu, head of the Minamoto Clan, led a group of clan elders and retainers through the gates of the Greater Imperial Palace, heading straight for the Onmyoryo. He was there at the invitation of the three Senior Secretaries of the Onmyoryo, bringing important clan members to discuss matters. After their journey, they arrived before the Onmyoryo, where Minamoto no Yorimitsu's path was blocked by an Onmyoji, who respectfully addressed him.

“Lord Seimei has given orders that no Shikigami shall be released within the Onmyoryo today. Please have your Shikigami wait outside.” The Onmyoji said, glancing at Onikiri beside Minamoto no Yorimitsu. As Onikiri was about to speak, Minamoto no Yorimitsu raised a hand to stop him.

“Since this is Lord Seimei’s wish, I shall comply. Onikiri, please wait patiently here.”

“But, my Lord…”

“Don’t worry. If anything happens, I will simply summon you.”

Seeing Minamoto no Yorimitsu’s confident demeanor, Onikiri hesitated, then silently bowed and stepped aside. Minamoto no Yorimitsu, along with the other Minamoto Clan members, then entered the Onmyoryo.

As Minamoto no Yorimitsu stepped into the Grand Hall of the council chamber with a confident smile, he saw the Great Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, smiling back in welcome.

“It is truly commendable that Lord Yorimitsu could arrive on time as agreed. Seimei thanks Lord Yorimitsu in advance.” Seimei said, bowing slightly to Minamoto no Yorimitsu, who returned the gesture with a smile.

“Heh heh, with an invitation jointly extended by the three Senior Secretaries, how could I possibly decline? It is our honor for the Minamoto Clan to assist the three Lords of the Onmyoryo in their troubles.” Minamoto no Yorimitsu said, scanning his surroundings, then, with a hint of confusion in his expression, he asked Seimei.

“Is it just Lord Seimei here now? Where are the other two?”

“Lord Hao and Lord Doman are currently attending to urgent matters outside the Onmyoryo. I will preside over the initial part of the meeting for now; they will arrive shortly.” Seimei replied to Minamoto no Yorimitsu, who nodded slightly, seemingly without further doubt.

“I see. Then, for now, we shall trouble Lord Seimei.”

“Heh heh, it’s no trouble at all. Now, please, Lord Yorimitsu and all you Minamoto Clan elders, take your seats. Tea has already been prepared at each spot, so we can converse while we drink.” With that, Seimei gestured around the hall, where countless low tables, each with tea, had been set up on both sides of the spacious room.

“Very well, then let us begin…” Minamoto no Yorimitsu nodded, taking his seat first.

Inside the council chamber, the meeting began. Outside, countless eyes watched every movement within.

...

Meanwhile, in a dense forest outside Heian-kyo, a small team of over a dozen Onmyoji and samurai stood ready. Leading them were Seimei, Yura, and Miketsu. Seimei, who was among the group, had his eyes closed in concentration. After a moment, he opened them and turned to Miketsu and Yura, speaking.

“The plan is proceeding smoothly. The Minamoto Clan’s high-ranking members are all in the Onmyoryo, being entertained by my clone. They are now under strict surveillance, with their external communications isolated as much as possible. We can begin our operation.”

“Hmm… so, have you found the monster’s hiding place?” Yura nodded, asking Seimei.

“I used the bloodstains to perform several divinations overnight and finally succeeded in pinpointing the Yokai’s location. It’s not far from here. We need to act quickly and capture it before things conclude at the Onmyoryo.” Seimei said, gazing into the depths of the forest.

“Hmph… no time to waste, let’s move quickly…” Yura said with a long sigh. Beside her, Miketsu’s expression remained indifferent. She opened her mouth and spoke slowly, her tone utterly flat.

“Let’s go…”

Under Seimei’s lead, Yura, Miketsu, and their retinue swiftly traversed the forest. Before long, they arrived at the foot of a small, densely wooded hill. After Seimei used Jutsu to burn away some of the branches and leaves, a somewhat narrow, elongated rock cave was revealed.

“According to the divination, this should be the place…” Seimei said, looking at the dark, deep cave before them.

“Heh, this is certainly well-hidden… without a medium for divination, it would be impossible to find.” Yura scoffed, a talisman already clutched in her hand.

“…” Miketsu watched everything before her with an indifferent expression, not uttering a word, as if none of it concerned her.

“Alright… everyone, please be careful. It’s time to go in.” Seimei said, forming hand seals and conjuring a ball of light with Jutsu that floated beside him. He then led the way into the cave, with everyone else following close behind.

Relying on the illumination from the spiritual power orb created by Jutsu, Seimei and his group delved deeper into the cave. Along the way, they encountered no anomalies; only the sound of dripping water and their footsteps echoed in the empty space.

Passing through a narrow tunnel, the group emerged into a wider space. The ground was rugged, and the faint glow of the spiritual power orb could no longer reach the cave walls all around, clearly indicating they had passed through the tunnel into a large cavern.

The team continued forward in the darkness. Yura surveyed her surroundings as she spoke.

“This is where that monster lives? It’s a bit larger than I expected… looks like we’ll have to put in some effort to find it.”

Just then, Seimei, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped. Standing with his back to them, he slowly said.

“No, there’s no need to go to any trouble to find it…”

“No need to find it? Why?” Yura asked, puzzled, looking at Seimei, who had suddenly halted. His response was a grim tone…

“Because, of course… it’s not here at all…”

Seimei slowly turned his head. A sinister smile now graced his handsome face, and a strange purplish-red light flickered in his eyes.

As Seimei spoke, a loud crash suddenly echoed from the tunnel entrance behind them, as massive boulders collapsed, sealing it shut. Beneath Seimei’s feet, a dazzling light spread outwards, and a complex, enormous Magical Array rapidly formed on the cave floor, completely engulfing everything above it.

...

“Whoa… what is this…”

“Cough, cough, cough…”

In the Onmyoryo’s council chamber, the Minamoto Clan elders, who had been participating in the discussion, suddenly began to struggle for breath. They clutched their chests, gasping and coughing, many collapsing weakly. In an instant, the entire chamber was filled with cries of distress.

From the main seat, a pale Minamoto no Yorimitsu clutched his chest, looking at the smiling Seimei not far away, and spoke.

“Could you explain the current situation, Lord Seimei…?”