The Cage

As Shiranui cried out to leave, everyone dared not linger. Ao Andon summoned several flying yokai, carrying Slippery Nura and the four unconscious Yokai Lords directly upwards from the deep pit towards the Main Sacrificial Altar. Seimei, who possessed Aerial Jutsu-shiki, followed closely.

During their flight, they could hear the colossal egg, which had devoured the Black Tortoise demonic power, cracking inch by inch behind them. Something hatched from within, then emitted a dense rustling sound, rapidly closing in from behind. Under the increasingly enormous and oppressive sound, they accelerated, and after returning to the Main Sacrificial Altar, they chose one of the connecting passages to fly through—the same passage the Lord of Nightless Island had used with his demon soldiers earlier. Logically, this should lead directly outside.

As expected, after entering the passage, Seimei and the others flew through twists and turns for less than a minute before successfully emerging outside. They flew directly out of a hidden exit concealed within the ruins of Shengui Tower, arriving on Nightless Island.

"Phew… that… that thing should be temporarily trapped inside, unable to get out, right? The passages we just went through were so small, it shouldn't be able to exit…" Perched on the back of a flying yokai, Slippery Nura spoke with lingering fear. Although he hadn't directly seen the monster that had burst from the colossal egg, the bone-chilling pressure it exuded left a deep impression. In his memory, only one other being had ever made him feel that way.

"I don't know… but if that thing truly is the legendary Tokoyo-no-Kami, then such difficulties could never hold It back…" Responding to Slippery Nura was Ao Andon, seated on her lamp staff, her expression utterly serious at this moment.

"Boom!"

No sooner had Ao Andon finished speaking than a massive explosion erupted from the center of the distant Shengui Tower ruins. Countless covering debris were blown apart and scattered across Nightless Island, destroying many houses and streets. A deep, gaping hole was blasted open in the ground, from which the familiar oppressive aura spread across the entire Nightless Island, perceived by Seimei and the others.

"What… that fellow… actually blasted straight through the ground to get out?!"

Amidst Slippery Nura's astonished words, a gigantic, plump insect larva slowly crawled out of the hole, supported by hundreds of short, thick legs. It half-reared its front body, dozens of meters high, in the center of the ruins, displaying its colorful body adorned with countless strange, glowing patterns to all the yokai on Nightless Island gazing towards it. A pair of enormous, jet-black round eyes grew on either side of its head, and at the very front of its head was a massive circular mouthpart.

Both alluring and hideous, both sacred and blasphemous… As those intricate, strange glowing patterns reflected in their eyes, all the yokai felt a dizzying enchantment, standing dumbfounded, as if only the larva existed in their vision.

"Don't look directly at It!" At the critical moment, Shiranui, sensing something was wrong, quickly warned those around her. She flew directly in front of the stunned Seimei and the others, blocking their view, and waved her fan to restore the senses of Seimei and the others, who hadn't fallen too deep into the trance.

"Ugh… did I fall into an illusion again? It's even more powerful than that ghost spirit songstress; It doesn't need any other means, just a glance can make someone fall into an illusion…" Having just recovered, Seimei said, rubbing his forehead with lingering fear, and lowered his head, no longer looking directly at the center of the ruins.

"That is the power of the Tokoyo-no-Kami. Perhaps because I possess a part of Its power, I wasn't affected…" Shiranui slowly explained to Seimei and the others. And at this very moment, new disturbances occurred on the Tokoyo-no-Kami's side.

The brightly colored Tokoyo-no-Kami slowly raised Its head and opened Its mouthpart, from which It spat out a glowing filament. This filament, upon reaching a certain height, began to rapidly weave and spin on its own, quickly forming a gigantic net that radiated evenly outwards. Soon, this massive net swiftly covered the sky above Nightless Island and spread to the surrounding sea. Finally, after completely covering the auxiliary islands around Nightless Island, it immediately dropped down, plunging into the sea, forming an inverted hemisphere that completely enveloped the entire Nightless Island and its surroundings.

After completing this action, the Tokoyo-no-Kami severed the filament from Its mouth and let out a shrill, strange, piercing cry towards the sky.

"Ugh…" As this cry rang out, Shiranui involuntarily covered her ears, her expression showing intense pain, as if the Tokoyo-no-Kami's scream had directly pierced her brain.

"What's wrong? Did the Tokoyo-no-Kami affect you?" Seeing Shiranui's condition, Ao Andon quickly asked.

"Phew… something like that… Its voice penetrated my consciousness… I, I can understand what It's saying…" Shiranui breathed slightly, explaining to the people before her. After hearing this, Slippery Nura impatiently asked,

"That worm actually has consciousness? What was It just saying?"

Listening to Slippery Nura's question, Shiranui took two deep breaths, then slowly said,

"It, It is very hungry right now. The sacrifices offered were far from enough to satisfy Its needs. It has only just begun to awaken and is extremely hungry. It needs to absorb more power to awaken further. It wants to form a cocoon and eventually transform into a butterfly…"

As she spoke, Shiranui cast her gaze towards the glowing filament cage that enveloped the entire Nightless Island.

"It now regards all living beings on this entire island as sacrifices. It wants to devour everything to accumulate enough energy to cocoon. It can sense that this island and the nearby sea hold several powerful living beings. These beings will be Its primary targets for consumption. This cage was constructed to prevent the sacrifices from escaping. Before It devours all living beings on this island… it will not be undone."

"Powerful living beings… eh?" Hearing Shiranui's words, Ao Andon was slightly startled. She knew, without needing to be told, what "powerful living beings" referred to—it naturally included the eight Yokai Lords, herself among them!

Turning her head, Ao Andon looked at the demonic birds she had summoned nearby. On them, the Lord of Arakawa, Toga, Great Tengu, and Yamakaze were still in slumber.

"Phew… even now, these guys haven't woken up. Yakumo Yukari… this plan of yours really had a huge flaw…"

In the center of the ruins, the Tokoyo-no-Kami, having finished constructing its cage, twisted its plump body and turned its head, looking towards the direction where Ao Andon and the others were.