Sea Yokai

Raindrops pattered against the stone-paved streets as all of Heian-kyo was bathed in a misty drizzle. The rain had cleared the thoroughfares, leaving the capital submerged in a profound silence during the daylight hours.

Miketsu, dressed in the kariginu of an Onmyoji, sat within a slow-moving ox cart as it traveled north along Suzaku Avenue. It had been a long time since she had donned such attire; she was appearing once more as Asakura Hao to visit the Onmyoryo, drawn by urgent reports from the sea.

Not long ago, Miketsu—using Hao's identity—had Qin Xin dispatch Onmyoji to the coast to investigate the numerous anomalies reported recently. The investigator had just returned to Heian-kyo, and the news he brought was unexpected.

The Yokai Lord of the Sea Nation was making unusual moves...

At the mention of the Sea Nation's lord, Miketsu immediately thought of Otakemaru, whom she had met briefly at Nightless Island. During that incident, for reasons unknown, he had been the only Yokai Lord to escape Yakumo Yukari’s clutches. He was also the only one from whom Miketsu had failed to collect demonic energy. He seemed distinct from the other Yokai Lords.

Since she had personally issued the order, Miketsu intended to hear the gathered intelligence firsthand.

Passing through the rain and mist, Miketsu arrived at the Onmyoryo. Under the respectful gazes of countless Onmyoji and Onmyo-sei, she made her way to a small Grand Hall where Seimei and Yura were already waiting.

"Oh, quite the rare guest. You've come in person this time instead of using that little shikigami of yours?" Yura remarked, her face partially obscured, looking at Miketsu with curiosity. While Qin Xin's disguise could fool most humans and yokai, it could not deceive Seimei or Yura.

"I felt the matter was important enough to come myself. By the way... how are you faring?" Miketsu asked Yura directly.

"Well... following your previous suggestion, I have placed a self-seal on the White Tiger Seal. That faint, leaking sinister power has eased quite a bit, though it still lingers. I've already spoken with the Minamoto Clan; I’ll be removing the White Tiger Seal soon..." Yura replied. Miketsu was slightly surprised by her words.

"You told the Minamoto Clan? Did Minamoto no Yorimitsu agree to give up the White Tiger Seal?"

"He did. He said that since the White Tiger Seal has become unsafe, discarding it is the only option. To him, it’s just an old relic left by the ancestral Minamoto. He doesn't care for a power that ruins a Senior Secretary after a single use..." Yura said, relaying Yorimitsu's words. Miketsu was once again taken aback.

Minamoto no Yorimitsu was surprisingly practical. He was willing to discard a supreme treasure of his ancestors without a second thought; it seemed he looked down on the Four Symbols Seal as a technique with far too many drawbacks. Regardless, it was for the best; Yura would be safer once the White Tiger Seal was removed.

Just as the white-robed Daoist had said, with three of the Four Symbols Arrays already gone, the formation could no longer completely suppress the Great Snake's power. The pure spiritual power remaining in the final White Tiger Array was being eroded by the Great Snake's influence from the other three. Even if the White Tiger Seal was not unleashed, the Great Snake would eventually corrupt it entirely, leading to the total collapse of the four arrays.

While the Four Symbols Array could draw from ley lines over ten years to replenish its spiritual power, the core of the jutsu-shiki was corrupted by the Great Snake upon its first release. Any spiritual power added afterward would be tainted, rendering the seal useless. Currently, the White Tiger Array was the last shackle holding back the Great Snake's remains, but this shackle was undergoing irreversible erosion. The liberation of the remains was only a matter of time.

Miketsu had already reclaimed Mokou's Vermilion Bird Seal to prevent her from being corrupted. Now that the Minamoto Clan had been consulted, she could proceed with reclaiming Yura's White Tiger Seal as well. Miketsu's current plan was to ensure her allies were not controlled by the Great Snake, then find ways to add additional seals to the White Tiger Array to slow the erosion, delaying the liberation of the remains for as long as possible. During this time, she needed to work hard on preparing for her own revival.

"Alright, since everyone is here, let us begin," Seimei said. Miketsu nodded and took her reserved seat. Moments later, a man in kariginu with damp hair entered the Grand Hall.

"This humble subordinate, Ono no Maki, greets the lords..." The Onmyoji bowed deeply. Seimei gestured for him to rise and got straight to the point.

"Ono, tell us what you saw at sea."

"Yes, Lord Seimei. Following Lord Hao's orders, I went to sea to investigate the cause of the frequent accidents and anomalies. In the coastal regions of Kii, Totomi, and Suruga, I interviewed many fishermen and maritime merchants. I found survivors of shipwrecks and even met with some yokai residing on the coast. I discovered that accidents and strange phenomena are indeed frequent, and all of it seems to be caused by the sea yokai of the Sea Nation," Ono replied respectfully. Seimei’s brow furrowed upon hearing this.

"The Sea Nation? Otakemaru, the lord of the sea yokai on Suzuka Mountain?"

"Yes. According to the rumors among fishermen and merchants, the sea is often shrouded in a thick mist. The Yin Qi within this mist is overwhelming, and a massive ghost ship can be seen sailing through it. Many survivors claimed their ships lost their way in the fog and were suddenly rammed and sunk by the ghost ship. Some survivors even witnessed a vast number of sea yokai moving through the water as they fell into the sea. This is happening even in the near-shore waters."

"A ghost ship... that is indeed Otakemaru's vessel..." Miketsu murmured. Otakemaru had arrived at Nightless Island on that very ship.

"Did the ghost ship appear this frequently before?" Seimei asked, turning his gaze toward Yura.

Yura answered immediately, "No. According to the Onmyoryo's records, while Otakemaru is considered a Yokai Lord, the Sea Nation he rules is actually located in the deep southern seas, far from the mainland. They rarely interfere with terrestrial affairs. He is the most reclusive of the great Yokai Lords. Sea yokai are rarely recorded by the Onmyoryo, and they almost never appear in near-shore waters."

"The frequency of sea yokai activity is abnormal... Is there any other intelligence?" Seimei pondered for a moment before continuing his questioning.

"There is one more crucial piece of information. While questioning some aquatic yokai, I heard a rumor. It is said that the Lord of Arakawa, who rules the Arakawa, has also been frequently sending his subordinate water yokai out to sea from the river mouth. It is reportedly to resist an invasion coming from the ocean. The sea yokai of the Sea Nation and the water yokai of the Arakawa have already clashed in the near-shore waters. It seems the Lord of Arakawa has gone to war with the Lord of the Sea Nation!"