Protection

On Suzaku Avenue, Miketsu looked at the crowds passing by with a sense of shock. Within her field of causality vision, the causes of everyone's deaths had been infinitely magnified and were about to manifest at any moment. In Miketsu's eyes, this seemingly peaceful street would soon be transformed into a scene of carnage!

"How can this be... so many people bear the marks of death, and they're all suicides. The source of this causality is..." Following the red threads of causality, Miketsu turned her gaze toward the distance. At the far edge of the horizon, a thick, heavy mass of black clouds was rolling in, darkening the sky until it looked like night. These black clouds churned continuously, faintly manifesting the shapes of countless screaming skulls. Within this terrifying gloom, Miketsu sensed a staggering amount of resentment.

It was the collective vengeful spirits of the Great Snake's miko! Their power had begun to radiate outward on a massive scale and was now on the verge of engulfing all of Heian-kyo!

Seeing this, Miketsu realized the true nature of the unfolding catastrophe. She had never imagined that the collective resentment of those miko could reach such a level—to be able to slaughter every living being within a thousand-mile radius through mere radiation of malice. This was power that rivaled the gods themselves!

"Ah! Help! Help me!"

Just then, a scream rang out from the street. Miketsu turned to see a young woman, face pale and eyes wide with terror, trembling as she held a pair of scissors to her own throat. Her companions were screaming in horror, scattering in every direction.

'This is bad... the influence has already reached us?'

Realizing the severity of the situation, Miketsu immediately threw out several Evil-Suppressing Talismans, which stuck firmly to the woman attempting suicide. The woman froze in place, then jumped in shock, screaming as she threw the scissors to the ground.

Though she had temporarily suppressed the influence on the woman, Miketsu knew this was no time to relax. Once that black cloud of resentment settled over Heian-kyo, mass death across the entire city would be inevitable!

No, it wasn't just Heian-kyo. If that black cloud was spreading outward from its point of origin, then every human settlement surrounding the capital would also be shrouded in this desperate death!

Understanding the gravity of the crisis, Miketsu did not hesitate. She immediately used her will to link with her shrine, using it as a medium to release her divine power.

Suddenly, a pillar of golden light shot into the sky from the honden of the Inari Shrine. While the shrine's miko watched in astonishment, Miketsu's divine power expanded across the heavens with the Inari Shrine at its center. The gathering dark clouds were instantly dispelled, revealing a clear, bright sky.

In an instant, Miketsu used her divine power to form a barrier that enveloped all of Heian-kyo, blocking the approaching black clouds of resentment.

Under the protection of Miketsu's divine power, the heavy resentment was held at bay. However, Miketsu knew that if the miko's resentment was spreading from a single point, her current actions could only protect the direction of Heian-kyo. The capital was not the only place where humans lived; other areas caught in the path of the cloud were still in mortal danger.

Faced with this, Miketsu silently closed her eyes and extended her divine sense far into the distance.

...

In a village far from the outskirts of Heian-kyo.

Dressed in elegant robes, Oitsuki, with her rabbit ears and wolf tail, floated above the village with a grim expression. On the ground below her lay several mortals. Some held sharp objects, while others had rope marks on their necks—all were people who had just tried to commit suicide and had been stopped by Oitsuki's power.

"Whew... whew... what is going on? So many people suddenly trying to kill themselves at once... I've never seen anything like this..."

Oitsuki spoke slowly, her breath ragged. Just then, she sensed something and looked toward the horizon. What met her eyes were the rolling, pitch-black clouds and the dense, terrifying resentment within them.

"W-what on earth is that!? Resentment?! If resentment this powerful reaches us... I won't be able to hold it back at all!"

Watching the vast black clouds sweep toward her, Oitsuki clutched her head and cried out in despair. It was clear that the situation was far beyond her ability to handle.

As the mountain-like mass of resentment rapidly approached, Oitsuki looked down at the village. She gritted her teeth, her resolve hardening.

"No, I don't care. Even if I can't hold it, I have to try..." Oitsuki extended her glowing hands. Though she stood her ground with gritted teeth, she was, at her core, utterly terrified.

Right then, a soft and familiar female voice echoed in Oitsuki's heart.

"Don't worry..."

Oitsuki froze at the sound. Suddenly, a burst of golden light erupted from the Inari Shrine in the center of the village, piercing the heavens. This light transformed into a curtain-like barrier, enveloping the village and a vast area around it, preventing the spreading black clouds from crossing the line by even a fraction.

"This... this is Lady Uka's power..."

Oitsuki watched the scene with an expression of awe. In the distance, as far as her eyes could see, another pillar of golden light rose into the high heavens.

Across Kinki and the regions surrounding Heian-kyo, in settlements far from the capital, pillars of light pierced the sky from every Inari Shrine, forming barriers to protect their respective lands.

Faith in Inari was incredibly dense around Heian-kyo; almost every settlement had an Inari Shrine or a small roadside shrine. Miketsu used these shrines and altars as mediums to manifest her divine power. Because of the density of this faith, the divine barriers Miketsu controlled linked together, forming a massive circle that constrained the Great Snake's resentment, preventing it from spreading further.

In this way, Miketsu utilized her widespread faith across Kinki to temporarily contain the powerful resentment and prevent a total collapse.

...

At the center of this massive resentment, beneath the black clouds at the Seven-Story Pagoda altar, Minamoto no Yorimasa stood on a small hill near the ritual site, gazing at the light falling from the distant sky.

"As expected, Inari Okami has intervened. Do we need to do anything now, Lord Snake God?" Yorimasa asked slowly, looking into the distance. A ghostly voice answered him.

"There is no need to interfere... just wait and see...

"Everything is proceeding exactly as planned..."