The Shadows of Death

In Heian-kyo, at the end of Tsuchimikado Avenue, just outside Seimei's courtyard.

Under a gloomy, leaden sky, countless vengeful spirits of miko, their forms highly skeletal and decayed, drifted through the air. They flew in a circular formation, whispering as they orbited a point on the ground. At the center of their circle was a hemispherical spiritual shield, and within that barrier stood Seimei, clutching a talisman, with Kagura by his side.

Moments ago, sensing the sinister demonic energy outside his gates, Seimei had rushed out only to find Kagura walking toward the vengeful spirits as if in a trance. He had immediately intervened to wake her, but his action drew the ire of the spirits. Countless miko ghosts manifested out of thin air, launching a frenzied assault. Seimei had no choice but to deploy a spiritual barrier to hold them at bay.

"Die... damned Onmyoji... do not interfere..."

"Little Kagura... wait for us... we will take you back soon..."

"Are you trying to save someone... Onmyoji... how we hate you... why was there no one to save us back then?"

Amidst the incessant, cursed whispers, the skeletal miko slammed into the barrier, their malice eroding the spiritual energy. Cracks spread across the shield's surface like a spiderweb. Inside, Seimei’s expression grew grim as he tightened his grip on his talismans.

He threw several talismans in rapid succession. Upon contact, the spirits were engulfed in ethereal blue flames, but the fire flickered and died after only a few agonizing shrieks. Seeing this, Seimei’s brow furrowed.

"These are no ordinary vengeful spirits; they cannot be exorcised through conventional means," Seimei muttered. "In that case..." He began to chant a more powerful incantation. However, at that moment, several miko spirits concentrated their attack on a single point. The barrier finally gave way, a large rift shattering open. Several spirits surged through the gap, lunging at Seimei and Kagura. Busy with his complex spell, Seimei was unable to defend himself in time.

"Seimei, look out!"

As Kagura cried out, the sharp whistle of arrows cutting through the air rang out from the distance. Several shafts struck the lunging spirits, pinning them momentarily in place. This brief reprieve was all Seimei needed to finish his preparations.

"Evil-Slaying Thunder Summoning!"

Bolts of lightning crashed down from the dark clouds, striking the spirits swirling in the air. The electricity jumped from one ghost to the next, surging through the entire swarm. In a blinding flash of white light, the miko spirits were unable to maintain their forms.

When the thunder faded, the spirits had not been entirely eradicated. Instead, they dissolved into a thick mist of dead souls, drifting away into the distance.

"Even a spell of that magnitude couldn't completely destroy them? Such spirits, such bottomless resentment... what exactly are they?" Seimei mused, watching the mist recede. He turned slowly and bowed slightly toward the source of the arrows. "My thanks for your assistance. May I ask who you are?"

Standing before him was a robust young man in warrior’s attire. He was handsome, with his long hair tied back and a single lock of red hair falling over his forehead. He held a large bow in his hand.

The young man had been staring intently at Kagura, only snapping out of it when Seimei spoke. He immediately offered a polite response.

"I am Minamoto no Hiromasa. It is an honor to meet the Great Onmyoji..."

Far from Heian-kyo, deep within the dense forests of the mountains, lay a secluded valley rarely visited by man. There stood a complex of artificial structures.

These buildings were arranged in a circular pattern around a central high platform. At the center of the platform rose a magnificent seven-story pagoda. Countless stone tablets and pillars were scattered across the platform in a precise, ritualistic pattern. Various auxiliary buildings lined the edges of the platform. This was the forbidden grounds of the Minamoto Clan—a place dedicated solely to the worship and sacrifice of the Snake God.

Though it was daytime, the thick, heavy clouds overhead made the valley as dark as night. The grand seven-story pagoda was shrouded in an ominous, pale mist. The air was filled with the constant sound of weeping and hushed whispers, as if invisible people were conversing in every corner. It was profoundly unsettling.

Around the tower, the corpses of numerous onmyoji and guards lay scattered. Their features were twisted in agony, their deaths horrific. Some had strangled themselves with their own hands, while others had used their own blades to take their lives. These victims of self-destruction were everywhere, and every single one of them bore the Sasa Rindo family crest on their robes.

On a hill overlooking the scene, Minamoto no Yorimasa watched with a cold, indifferent gaze.

"All the control seals have failed. Everything is completely out of control now... though it was only a matter of time. Lord Snake God, is there anything I must do?"

As Yorimasa spoke to himself, a spectral voice echoed in his mind.

"No..."

Hearing this, Yorimasa abandoned any thought of intervening. Two clouds of the mist of dead souls drifted in from the horizon, diving into the pagoda. Suddenly, a violent change occurred.

A chorus of ten thousand piercing screams erupted from within the tower. The ground began to tremble. Resentment so thick it was almost physical exploded from the pagoda, shooting into the sky before billowing outward in all directions.

"This... did that entity just lash out in anger because it failed its objective?" Yorimasa’s expression shifted to one of surprise as he felt the malice spreading rapidly. He had witnessed such an explosion of resentment once before; that time, it had killed every living soul within the forbidden grounds in a single breath. Had he not been under the protection of the Snake God, he too would have perished. The aftershocks of that event had even reached Heian-kyo, affecting specific groups of people.

Now, the thing inside the tower seemed to have been provoked. Its resentment was erupting with even greater intensity than before, sweeping across the land and threatening every human within its reach.

Seeing this, Yorimasa let out a dark chuckle. "It seems even more people will die this time..." He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, in the direction of Heian-kyo.

Back in Heian-kyo, Miketsu was lost in thought, having just finished dealing with Kikyo’s situation from afar. She had already formed a suspicion regarding the mastermind behind these incidents, and Kikyo’s report of her recent encounter only solidified her theory.

Vengeful spirits... spirits of miko... a preference for luring young women... calling Kikyo 'sister'... All these factors pointed to a single, horrifying answer.

The culprit behind this crisis was likely a collective of vengeful spirits created by the Imperial Court and the Minamoto Clan through centuries of sacrificing miko with spiritual power! When those with spiritual talent die and become vengeful spirits, they are naturally powerful. Over hundreds of years, countless innocent girls had been sacrificed. If their spirits were gathered together, the resulting power would be unimaginably vast.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Miketsu immediately prepared to head for the Minamoto Residence. But at that moment, a wave of profound foreboding washed over her.

Amidst this dread, Miketsu activated her spiritual vision. She looked out at the street, only to find that every single person passing by was marked with the signs of death.