The God-Blessed

A... god-blessed? That boy? Kaguya murmured in disbelief as she listened to Eirin's words. She had never imagined that the Fujiwara brat from moments ago possessed the favor of a deity.

Indeed... for a mere mortal to have such a profound causal connection with a deity, it can only mean she is a god-blessed. Behind her stands not only the vast Fujiwara clan, but potentially even an orthodox god of the Celestial Realm watching over her from the shadows. Hehe... Heian-kyo truly is a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons dwell. So, Princess... this is not a place for reckless actions, Eirin continued with a faint smile. Having gained a deeper understanding of the background of the Young Lord Fujiwara they had just encountered, Kaguya could only temporarily swallow her indignation.

Hmph... if that's the case, I'll just have to let that brat off easy. After all these years, the Fujiwara are still the same—driven by their lustful nature... Kaguya grumbled, recalling Fujiwara no Fuhito, who had pursued her hundreds of years ago. He had been the most persistent of her suitors back then, and ultimately the one she had humiliated the most.

At that moment, Eirin gave Kaguya a playful look before adding, It wasn't a boy... but a girl.

What? That person was also... a woman? Kaguya exclaimed in shock.

Yes... though her aura was quite masculine and she used some disguises to alter her figure, I could still see her true gender. She is a woman masquerading as a man. Hehe, I am quite curious myself... just what is her identity within the Fujiwara clan?

A woman as well? After hearing Eirin's words, Kaguya's expression became complicated. Her mind began to wander as she recalled what had happened within the stagnant space-time.

Ugh... whatever, forget about that person for now. Right, Eirin, since the Jade Bamboo at Kiyomizu-dera has been snatched away, where should we go now to find a new one? Shaking her head, Kaguya forced herself to stop thinking about unnecessary things and turned to Eirin.

We failed to get the Jade Bamboo at Kiyomizu-dera, so we might already be a step behind the others... Therefore, it would be unwise to go to locations within Heian-kyo or those close to it. We should immediately head to the furthest of the five locations... Fushimi Inari Taisha, Eirin replied after a moment of thought.

Fushimi Inari Taisha? That should be to the south... Alright, let's go, Eirin! As she spoke, Kaguya began walking briskly forward. Eirin followed closely behind. As they moved, Eirin looked at Kaguya's back, a trace of worry flickering between her brows. Although the range of the causality freeze Kaguya had used wasn't large and the duration was short, it would certainly be sensed by other powerful beings in a place like Heian-kyo. This would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention and create invisible risks for their future activities in the capital.

Sigh... I hope it won't be too much of a problem. Eirin took a long breath and hurried to catch up with Kaguya.

...

Inside a refined quiet room in the Asakura Residence, Princess Kaguya sat alone, looking out the window toward the eastern sky. A hint of bewilderment appeared on her face.

This... what is this feeling... such a... familiar power.

While waiting, Princess Kaguya felt a power that was both strange and familiar, causing her thoughts to churn.

...

High above Heian-kyo, within the divine realm, Miketsu was weaving the threads of causality when her brow suddenly furrowed. She sensed an unusual disturbance in the threads of causality spread throughout space. She reached out and grasped at the void, plucking several red threads of fate. Miketsu looked at one end of the red threads and turned her gaze toward the east.

Kiyomizu-dera?

...

Elsewhere, while Kaguya and Mokou were both attempting to obtain the Jade Bamboo at Kiyomizu-dera, many other suitors were also in action. Many had relied on their own strength or external help to solve the riddles left by Princess Kaguya and were rushing toward the marked locations.

In the northern part of Heian-kyo, before the sacrificial hall of Kitano Tenmangu.

Tamamura the tanuki, disguised as a handsome young man, smashed the protective barrier directly with a sake jar. He then picked up the Jade Bamboo inside, laughing loudly after inspecting it. Around him, a group of humans lay on the ground, rolling and groaning in pain.

On the roof of the shrine, Nura Rihyon sat drinking sake, watching the scene with a smile.

In the center of Heian-kyo, at the imperial garden of Shinsenen.

A small boat drifted upon the shimmering blue waters of the lake. Minamoto no Yorimitsu stood on the boat, easily dispelling the relatively weak Onmyojutsu barrier and retrieving the Jade Bamboo within.

In the lake surrounding him, several men were splashing about as they swam; those who couldn't swim were being rescued by an aquatic Shikigami.

In the center of Heian-kyo, on the broad avenue before the Suzakumon.

A large crowd of noble scions had gathered here, noisily arguing with one another. Since almost all nobles in Heian-kyo possessed some degree of Onmyojutsu heritage, their arguments quickly escalated into a magical duel. An Onmyojutsu free-for-all began right there on the street.

As if having foreseen this, a group of guards and samurai had arrived a short while ago to stand watch. Seeing the group of noble scions fighting, they immediately began evacuating the surrounding crowds. Meanwhile, the Great Onmyoji Seimei happened to be strolling by amidst the various unexpected events.

He looked at the noble scions fighting over the prize, then at the nearby Suzakumon. Seimei paused for a moment and gave a wry smile. He cast a barrier around the group of scions to weaken and block their Onmyojutsu, preventing their attacks from affecting the surroundings or causing too much damage. Then, he simply turned to leave. Just at that moment, an explosion suddenly rang out behind him, causing Seimei to frown and turn back.

Someone's technique had accidentally blown apart the barrier protecting the Jade Bamboo. The resulting shockwave sent the Jade Bamboo flying into the air. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it traced a graceful arc through the sky before landing precisely at Seimei's feet.

The noble scions, who had been in the middle of their brawl, looked in shock at the Great Onmyoji who had suddenly appeared, and then at the Jade Bamboo at his feet. After exchanging awkward glances, they all retracted their talismans and Shikigami. They hurriedly bowed to Seimei and then scattered like startled birds, fleeing the scene.

Seimei picked up the Jade Bamboo from the ground, his expression complicated.