The Black Tortoise

In the Upper Capital District of Heian-kyo, within the Fujiwara residence, Miketsu sat in a secluded, quiet room. Her hair and eyes were dark, and she was dressed in her Onmyo Kariginu. Seated before her was Mokou, who was clad in the luxurious robes of a male nobleman.

Miketsu reached out and touched Mokou’s forehead. A faint golden glow emanated from her fingertips, causing the mark of a red bird to manifest on Mokou’s brow, reflecting the radiance of Miketsu’s touch. Miketsu’s expression was incredibly serious, while Mokou appeared rather impatient.

“Hmm... the check today shows no issues either. Still no signs of corruption...” Miketsu murmured softly as she observed the glowing Vermilion Bird Seal.

Mokou, however, spoke up with clear annoyance. “Alright, alright... how many times has this been? If there’s no problem, there’s no problem. Stop checking... it’s been days.”

“I’m doing this just in case. This matter is of great importance; we cannot afford to be careless,” Miketsu responded to Mokou with a touch of exasperation. The light at her fingertips faded, and the manifestation of the Vermilion Bird Seal on Mokou’s forehead vanished.

“Alright, I’ll ask you one more time. Have there been any signs of somnambulism lately? Or perhaps any sudden habits you didn’t have before? For instance, a sudden craving for a specific tea or food?” Miketsu asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

Mokou’s answer was blunt. “No, none at all. I’ve been perfectly fine from start to finish. Not a single abnormality. So, you don’t need to do these checks every day.” Mokou raised her hand dismissively.

Miketsu let out a soft sigh and said with a solemn expression, “Neither the Vermilion Bird Seal nor the White Tiger Seal has shown any abnormalities. Could it be that only the Azure Dragon Seal was compromised?”

“Of course,” Mokou said, gesturing as if it were obvious. “If that Orochi could erode all of the Four Symbols Seals, why would He only target that Seimei kid? If He had quietly eroded me and the White Tiger host together, wouldn’t He have won long ago? Would He have let you thwart Him again a few days ago?”

Miketsu thought about it and nodded. “True... it seems that fellow cannot erode all the Divine Generals at once. Otherwise, we might have been finished long ago.” As Divine Generals were beings capable of reaching the level of a deity, Miketsu knew that even in her divine realm mode, she would struggle if besieged by several of them at once.

“Well, since that’s the case, we can reduce the frequency of the checks... It’s time to go now. There’s a gathering later...” Miketsu said, standing up and brushing off her clothes, preparing to leave.

“A gathering? What kind of gathering?”

“It’s about Seimei. The news of his situation has already spread. Some fellows are planning to go visit him,” Miketsu said with a shrug and a casual smile.

...

At the end of Tsuchimikado Avenue in Heian-kyo, in Seimei’s courtyard.

At this moment, the once-quiet courtyard was filled with a boisterous clamor. Shouts and laughter rose and fell as various humans and yokai gathered to drink and chat. Though their numbers weren't vast, the atmosphere was incredibly lively.

“It seems Seimei-sama was a highly respected and kind person in the past. Both humans and yokai have come to visit you,” Little White said, watching the scene while sitting beside Seimei.

“Indeed. To help a yokai like me, who was initially hostile toward you, without asking for anything in return... Seimei-sama truly is an Onmyoji worthy of the utmost admiration.” The speaker was a humanoid Shiba Inu sitting next to Little White. His face was much kinder than when they had first encountered him.

“Seimei is a very gentle person,” Kagura added from the other side. Seimei responded with a warm, gentle smile.

“Haha, it’s nothing. I just feel I did what I ought to do.”

On the edge of the crowd, Yura watched Seimei being surrounded by everyone. She took a sip of sake and grumbled under her breath.

“Honestly... I’m working myself to death at the Onmyoryo, while this guy lives a life of leisure, even finding the time to help some random inugami find a culprit... Hmph...”

Yura continued to drink grumpily. Seimei, noticing her expression, took the initiative to raise his sake bowl toward her in a toast.

“Yura, thank you so much for coming to visit me these past few days and explaining the situation in Heian-kyo to me while I’ve lost my memories. I can see how busy your daily life is, yet you still made time for me. It’s wonderful to have a friend like you.”

“Eh... I-it’s nothing... just a minor thing... It’s what I should do...” Yura’s face suddenly flushed red upon realizing Seimei had noticed her, and she quickly raised her bowl to return the toast.

At that moment, a furry paw suddenly landed on Seimei’s shoulder. Seimei turned his head to see a Tanuki, reeking of alcohol, looking at him with a drunken gaze.

“Hic... Brother Seimei, your sudden amnesia really worried me to death. It’s truly a crime against heaven for someone like you to be framed. Let me tell you, this must be a plot by that fellow Ashiya Doman! Everyone on the streets knows she’s the one who harmed you! And now that person is lording it over everyone at the Astronomical Pavilion, acting all high and mighty! It’s absolutely detestable!”

“Brother Tanuki, please, slow down. These matters are just rumors; we can’t believe everything...” Seimei felt a bit of cold sweat as the drunken yokai called him 'brother,' wondering if he had really associated with such characters in the past.

“I don’t care about that! Anyway, if you want revenge, just give us the word. I’ll tell the Owl General, and we’ll go cut down that Ashiya person together to vent your frustrations!”

“Er... there’s no need for that right now.”

“Heh, that fellow gets drunk so easily. Brother Seimei, give him some soup to wake him up.” Watching the farce from nearby, Nura Rihyon also raised a cup and spoke with a smile.

On the other side, Yura’s face was dark as she gritted her teeth. “These yokai... sooner or later, I’ll exterminate every last one of you...”

“Yura-san cares quite a lot about Seimei too... Your relationship in the past must have been very good,” Kagura remarked, noticing Yura’s dark expression.

“Er, it’s nothing... just, just friends...” Yura answered hesitantly. Kagura then shifted the topic and asked another question.

“By the way, Yura-san, do you have any clues about my origin yet?”

“No, not yet. The Onmyoryo hasn't fully recovered from the chaos. The investigation into your background hasn't fully begun. It will take some time,” Yura replied. Kagura’s expression fell slightly.

“I see... thank you for your hard work then...”

“It’s fine. Judging by your clothing, you should be a noble lady of Heian-kyo. Once the Onmyoryo returns to normal, it won’t take long to find out who you are,” Yura consoled her.

“Yes, thank you, Yura-san.”

After responding to Kagura, Yura let out a soft breath. Her gaze shifted, landing on Miketsu, who was sitting silently nearby, lost in thought. Miketsu wasn't participating in the banquet; she was brooding over something on her own.

“What’s wrong, Hao? What are you thinking about?”

“Ah, Yura. I have something to ask you. Has the White Tiger Seal ever been activated before?” Miketsu seized the opportunity to ask.

“Has the White Tiger Seal been activated? As for that... neither the records of the Onmyoryo nor the internal records of the Minamoto Clan mention it ever being activated. You should know this; activating one of the Four Symbols Seals is a major event. No one could keep it a secret.” Yura thought for a moment before answering.

“Right. The activation of a Four Symbols Seal cannot be hidden. Thus, neither the White Tiger Seal nor the Vermilion Bird Seal has ever been activated. But the Azure Dragon Seal is different—Kamo no Tadayuki activated it to counter the attack of the Great Tengu, Kakuhanbo!” Miketsu spoke to herself, her eyes lighting up as if she had realized something.

The biggest difference between the Azure Dragon Seal and the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird Seals was that the Azure Dragon Seal had been activated, draining its accumulated spiritual power, whereas the others had not! Therefore, what Orochi could erode was a Four Symbols Array that had been depleted by activation!

As she realized this, Miketsu’s expression immediately tightened. In her memories, there was one other Four Symbols Seal that had been activated. It was over twenty years ago—the Northern Seal, activated to counter the Great Yokai, the Nine-Tails.

“This is bad... if that’s the case, the Black Tortoise Seal also...”

Before Miketsu could finish her sentence, the ground suddenly shook violently. A massive surge of spiritual power erupted from the north. Miketsu turned her head and saw, through the window, a colossal pillar of spiritual energy rising from the northern mountains, piercing straight into the heavens.