Shiranui

Seeing the determined expression of the old man before her, Ao Andon's gaze wavered slightly. Then, letting out a soft breath, she slowly lowered her bow and spoke to him seriously.

“Then go. Remember, Onmyoji, you only get one chance.”

“I understand…” Kamo Yoshin nodded, then slightly loosened the Glowing Tentacles' pull on him. He allowed himself to be naturally drawn to the edge of the deep pit, then used a jutsu-shiki to fix himself in place.

“Boy from the capital, cast the Fire-Repelling Incantation on me now. Your jutsu-shiki should be stronger than mine.” Kamo Yoshin looked at Seimei, speaking with a solemn expression. Seimei, after a brief pause, replied seriously.

“Senior, Shiranui’s flames are incredibly potent. Even my Fire-Repelling Incantation will struggle to block them. Perhaps we should try to lure her flames away as we did before.”

“It’s no use. Ali’s flames have now formed a complete barrier, completely enveloping her. I can only force my way through. Time is critical; we don’t have time for idle chatter. Hurry!”

Seeing Kamo Yoshin’s serious expression, Seimei paused briefly, then drew a talisman purely composed of spiritual power in the air before sending it into Kamo Yoshin’s body.

“The Fire-Repelling Incantation has been cast upon you. Once the spiritual power imbued within it is depleted, you will need to supply your own spiritual power to maintain it. You must stop Shiranui before your spiritual power runs out, or you must immediately escape the flames. Otherwise…”

“Stop chattering so much; I know these basic facts…” Kamo Yoshin interrupted Seimei. He turned, looking towards the center of the deep pit, at the fiery orb suspended above it, and began forming hand seals.

“Boy from the capital, what is your name?”

“My name is Abe no Seimei.”

“Seimei, huh? Heh, when I was your age, I hadn’t achieved such mastery in Onmyojutsu. Protect what you cherish well, and don’t squander your talent.

“Aerial Jutsu-shiki…”

Kamo Yoshin finished speaking, then leaped, activating his jutsu-shiki to ascend. Resisting the increasingly strong pull from the colossal egg below the pit, he flew towards the fiery orb enveloping Shiranui.

Just as Kamo Yoshin was halfway there, as if sensing his approach, the fiery orb suddenly swelled, its radius expanding several times over. The scorching wall of fire abruptly closed in on Kamo Yoshin’s face, and waves of intense heat ruffled his graying hair.

Seeing this, Ao Andon, suspended at the edge of the deep pit, involuntarily tightened her grip on her bow. Seimei, on the other hand, frowned and hastily shouted towards Kamo Yoshin.

“Shiranui has expanded her defensive range! The Fire-Repelling Incantation won’t last until you reach her. Come back, Senior Yoshin!”

Ignoring the distant calls, Kamo Yoshin hovered before the scorching wall of fire, gazing at the faint, indistinct figure shimmering beyond it. His face remained calm. Two seconds later, he activated his jutsu-shiki and resolutely plunged into the inferno.

“Senior Yoshin!”

“Hey! Old man, are you trying to die?!”

Disregarding the shouts from Seimei and Slippery Nura in the distance, Kamo Yoshin pushed through the incredibly scorching flames. His vision was enveloped by bright fire, with only the vague figure ahead discernible.

Within the flames that engulfed Kamo Yoshin, the spiritual power Seimei had imbued into the Fire-Repelling Incantation was rapidly depleted. To maintain the incantation's effect, Kamo Yoshin began to supply his own spiritual power. However, the demonic flames were so intense that Kamo Yoshin felt his spiritual power drain like flowing water, quickly dropping past half. Yet, he still had a considerable distance to cover before reaching Shiranui.

At this moment, Kamo Yoshin realized something: with his current spiritual power, he absolutely could not sustain the Fire-Repelling Incantation through the fire wall. He could still turn back now.

Time allowed the old man no chance for hesitation. In a mere instant, the decision was made. Kamo Yoshin continued to traverse the fire wall, flying towards Shiranui.

In just two seconds, the remaining spiritual power was completely depleted, and the Fire-Repelling Incantation’s jutsu-shiki collapsed. Scorching flames began to burn Kamo Yoshin’s entire body, yet with the last sliver of his spiritual power, he maintained his Aerial Jutsu-shiki, persevering to fly the final distance.

Beyond the fire wall, at the center of the fiery orb, Shiranui, who had been dancing, slowly ceased her movements for some unknown reason. She looked blankly towards the fire wall, where a dark shadow was approaching within the inferno.

A charred arm reached out from within the fire wall, precisely grasping the broken blade embedded in Shiranui’s chest. It gently pulled it out. Then, both the charred hand and the broken blade crumbled into fragments in the air.

The moment the broken blade was removed, the boundless flames surrounding Shiranui instantly vanished. With color returning to her eyes, Shiranui slowly extended her hand, as if searching for something, but found only emptiness before her.

At that moment, two lines of clear tears streamed from Shiranui’s eyes.

……

Fifty years ago, in the waters off Nightless Island.

“What? You’re saying the yokai Shiranui doesn’t exist at all?”

On the vast sea, in a small boat, a young man dressed in Kariginu exclaimed in disbelief. He was speaking to the boatman who was rowing.

“Don’t tell me the Onmyoji lord from the capital doesn’t know? The so-called Shiranui is the name of Nightless Island’s most popular courtesan, not some yokai…” The boatman scoffed, slowly speaking as he looked at the young master from the capital, who seemed to have little experience of the world.

“Nightless Island’s… courtesan?”

“Indeed. She’s a treasure in the hands of the Lord of Nightless Island, an absolute beauty among mortals! To showcase her performances, the Lord of Nightless Island specially built a Rijin Pavilion by the sea. Those who wished to witness Shiranui’s dance had to take small boats onto the water in front of the stage. Because so many boats gathered, their lights spread across the sea, forming a continuous line between the sea and sky. When some fishermen saw this, they spread tales of a great sea yokai. Heh, what ignorance…”

The boatman laughed as he recounted the tale to the young Onmyoji. The latter listened in a daze, then anxiously began scratching his head.

“W-wait, she’s not a yokai? Then what’s the point of me coming here? I finally heard about a powerful yokai appearing, thinking I could subjugate an excellent shikigami… Now this…” The Onmyoji, scratching his head, was filled with anxiety. He could already envision the ridicule from his talented peers when he returned to his clan. His Onmyodo talent wasn’t particularly strong, so he had always hoped to use this opportunity to gain experience and capture a powerful shikigami to prove himself, to slap the faces of those who constantly mocked him.

Seeing the young Onmyoji’s distress, the boatman chuckled and continued.

“Heh, Onmyoji lord, you seem to have some troubles. But don’t worry, since you’re here, just enjoy Shiranui’s dance. After seeing it once, all your bad moods will vanish. Look, we’ve arrived. Turn around and see.”

“Arrived?”

With a questioning look, the young Onmyoji silently followed the boatman’s gaze and slowly turned. Then, he was stunned by everything before him.

At the edge of the island, a colossal circular stage stood, half on land and half in the water. The massive stage was adorned with colorful fabrics and floral umbrellas, and countless lanterns hung in rows, illuminating it completely. In front of the stage, innumerable small and large wooden boats gathered, with people of all kinds directing their gaze towards the magnificent stage.

On that stage, a beautiful, dark-haired maiden, clad in splendid robes, danced gracefully, holding two large fans. Her dance was like a fluttering butterfly, intertwining with her beauty to create a breathtaking spectacle.

The young Onmyoji stood dumbfounded on the boat, and the figure on that stage was forever etched into his heart.

……

Underneath Nightless Island, in the Main Sacrificial Altar.

“Senior Yoshin…”

Seimei and Slippery Nura stood silently, gazing at everything before them. Ao Andon, too, had a look of astonishment in her eyes. The bow in her hand dissolved into a cyan light. Looking at Shiranui in the distance, she couldn't help but exclaim.

“What a… moving piece of Secret Lore…”

At this moment, the Glowing Tentacles wrapped around them seemed to have lost their power, becoming limp, but they did not vanish.

In the depths of the pit, the heartbeat within the colossal egg paused for several seconds after Shiranui’s dance stopped. Then, it suddenly accelerated.