The Divination Shot

Ever since the great loss caused by the yokai disaster more than ten years ago, the Onmyoryo had begun working to strengthen the supernatural defenses of Heian-kyo, adding more measures to deal with potential crises in the future. Over the past decade, besides the foundational Four Symbols Corresponding Grand Array, various other arrays of all sizes had been established throughout Heian-kyo. These arrays usually remained in a hidden, dormant state, ready to be activated to face an enemy should a special situation arise.

As the Onmyo Taiyu of the Onmyoryo, Seimei was naturally very familiar with the various hidden arrays in Heian-kyo. The Mysterious Gate Ghost Soldier Array was specifically responsible for guarding the Onmyoryo and the Greater Imperial Palace. Seimei, using his status as the Onmyo Taiyu, hijacked control of this array and turned it to his own use.

Under the array's influence, spectral ghost soldiers—grim and dilapidated in appearance—began to manifest throughout the Onmyoryo. Fortunately, while Seimei was occupied with the Minamoto clan, Miketsu had used her authority as the Onmyo Taiyu to order everyone in the Onmyoryo to return home early to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Of course, this wasn't because Miketsu considered these Onmyoji to be burdens; she simply wanted to handle the matter regarding Seimei as discreetly as possible, with as few witnesses as possible.

"Ghost soldiers, hear my command: Slay my enemies!"

Seeing the ghost soldiers manifest, Seimei let out a low chant to issue his orders. Instantly, hundreds of ghost soldiers scattered throughout the Onmyoryo raised their blades and drifted eerily, swarming toward the Grand Hall and the Five-Story Pagoda of the Astronomical Pavilion. Able to float through the air and bypass physical barriers, they moved with incredible speed, baring their fangs and claws as they closed in on Miketsu and Kikyo from all sides.

Facing the massive number of ghost soldiers, Miketsu flicked her sleeve, sending a golden sutra scroll flying out. It circled around her, emitting a chant that repelled the incoming ghost soldiers. However, the ghost soldiers would only be pushed back a short distance before swarming forward again, using their collective, thick Yin energy to suppress the scroll and slowly advance. Looking at the sea of spectral soldiers before her, Miketsu continued her low chant.

"Break the array..."

Six or seven hundred meters away, at the top of the Five-Story Pagoda, Kikyo looked down to see a continuous stream of terrifying ghost soldiers howling as they surged upward. Upon receiving Miketsu's voice, her expression tightened, and she spoke softly.

"By your divine decree. Now, please grant me strength..."

With that, Kikyo placed her bow on the pagoda floor and pressed her hands together in prayer. She began to pray fervently in her heart. During her prayer, a faint golden halo emerged around her, and a spectral torii gate rapidly took shape behind her. Beyond the torii, one could vaguely see golden rice fields.

"soul fox Hunt..."

Several translucent soul foxes emerged from the spectral torii gate connecting to the Fox Hunt Realm and entered the mortal world. They stretched their bodies gracefully in the air, tracing elegant arcs before pouncing on the ghost soldiers surging from below. These soul foxes, summoned by the Inari Miko, struck and scattered the gloomy ghost soldiers, preventing them from approaching the miko at the top of the tower.

After ensuring she wouldn't be disturbed by the ghost soldiers, Kikyo immediately moved to the next step. She picked up her Azusa bow once more, closing her eyes as she nocked an arrow, beginning another round of prayer.

"I pray that I may witness the world as You see it..."

When Kikyo opened her eyes again, they had become deep and distant. The world in her eyes was now filled with dense, interconnected, and infinitely extending red lines. These were the Threads of Causality that only gods could perceive; Miketsu had shared her causality vision with Kikyo in response to her prayer.

Having obtained the divine vision, Kikyo nocked another arrow and began to whisper a Divination Incantation. According to the content of her divination, the sky full of red lines began to fade until only seven remained. These seven Threads of Causality connected from Kikyo's side to Seimei's seven clones distributed throughout the Onmyoryo.

"Heavenly Net Divination Shot..."

Aligning her bow with one of the red lines, Kikyo released her grip. The spiritual arrow, trailing blue light like a bolt of lightning, flew straight forward. It pierced through trees, houses, walls, and countless other obstacles, directly striking one of Seimei's clones that was maintaining the array, annihilating it in a massive explosion.

This was a Divination Shot. Without seeing the target at all, Kikyo used the Threads of Causality to determine the direction and used a highly penetrative spiritual arrow to strike through obstacles.

As one of Seimei's clones vanished into nothingness amidst the spiritual explosion, the Mysterious Gate Ghost Soldier Array lost one of its array nodes. It instantly became unstable, and the spectral ghost soldiers began to flicker and blur as if they might disappear at any moment.

Following up on her success, Kikyo nocked and fired another arrow. This one pierced through several walls in succession before hitting the second array node. With the second node destroyed in a spiritual blast, the entire Mysterious Gate Ghost Soldier Array could no longer maintain itself and collapsed completely. The ghost soldiers spread throughout the Onmyoryo vanished in an instant.

"Ugh... this..."

After the ghost soldier array was broken, Seimei suffered another backlash. The surging spiritual power coursed through his entire spiritual network, and blood flowed from his nose, mouth, and ears simultaneously. He was so weak he nearly collapsed, only managing to stay upright by leaning against a pillar.

Seeing this, Miketsu knew Seimei was now almost incapable of resisting. The most critical step of her plan was about to arrive.

"Demon-Slaying..."

Miketsu continued to chant softly, and Kikyo followed Miketsu's will to begin the next action.

Kikyo drew her Azusa bow again, but unlike before, she did not take an arrow from her quiver. She drew the string back entirely empty.

As the empty string reached its limit, light generated and converged around the bow. Finally, a spectral arrow of light rapidly took shape in Kikyo's hand. She was aiming directly at the Grand Hall in the distance—at Seimei, who was currently leaning against the pillar.

The Demon-Slaying Arrow. This was an energy arrow infused with Miketsu's divine power. Now, Kikyo was going to use it to dispel and purify the erosion and pollution brought about by Orochi's Power.

On a small rocky hill in the suburbs of Heian-kyo, Qin Xin, wearing a kariginu stained with various types of yokai blood, looked indifferently into the distance. Behind her, a black-robed Owl was approaching.

"Too slow..."

Turning around, Qin Xin spoke to the Owl behind her in a flat tone. Combined with the fox mask on her head representing seriousness, it was clear she was slightly dissatisfied.

"Arranging them took a bit of time..."

Owl spoke impassively while unwinding the bandages from her face. Finally, what was revealed beneath was the face of Menreiki.