The Great Snake's Release

During the day, Heian-kyo was clear and bright.

There was a law in Heian-kyo: the daylight hours belonged to humans, while the night was dominated by yokai. However, today's Heian-kyo was somewhat different.

It was clearly daytime, yet the streets of Heian-kyo were deathly silent. Not a single pedestrian walked the roads; every shop was closed, and the doors and windows of every building were tightly shut. Not a soul could be seen in the streets or alleys. This, the nation's largest capital, was extremely empty and desolate, devoid of any human presence.

It wasn't just Heian-kyo itself; a vast area radiating out from the capital was currently devoid of any sign of life. Villages and settlements were empty, eerie and abnormal.

It wasn't just humans; not a single yokai could be found in Heian-kyo or its surrounding areas. Choyo-machi was deserted, and even the foxes on Mount Inari had completely vanished.

In the vastness of Heian-kyo, it seemed as if only ants and mosquitoes remained at this moment...

Clad in white robes and a scarlet hakama, wearing the Heavenly Mirror Crown, a white-haired girl floated above this silent domain. She gazed indifferently at the tranquil land below. A white fox flew from afar to her side and spoke respectfully.

"Lady Uka... all evacuation efforts have been completed..."

"Thank you for your hard work... Tsuruha. I'll leave the management of that side to you now." Miketsu responded faintly. Tsuruha nodded respectfully and quickly departed.

"I wish you every success, Lady Uka..."

The currently deserted Heian-kyo was the result of Miketsu's will. Because this area was about to become her battlefield against the Great Snake, Miketsu had to evacuate all humans and yokai in advance to avoid collateral damage.

Of course, relying on conventional means to evacuate such a vast area of people and yokai in a short time was no easy feat. Miketsu had employed some special means to achieve this, and some friction had occurred along the way.

Regardless, the evacuation was now complete. Heian-kyo and the surrounding vast regions had become a no-man's land, and Miketsu could proceed with her next move.

"The arrow is on the string..."

With a sigh, Miketsu flew forward until she reached the forest south of Heian-kyo. She then drew the shimmering White Tiger Seal from her sleeve. Looking at the small portion that had not yet been eroded, Miketsu breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, she had to invalidate the seal of the Four Symbols Array, pulling the Great Snake's remains and divine soul back to Heian-kyo from the Void, and then utterly destroy it here!

"White Tiger Seal... rise..." Under Miketsu's low chant, the meager amount of pure spiritual power remaining in the White Tiger Seal was invoked and then immediately dissipated. After the White Tiger Altar vibrated with a fluorescent glow, the Four Symbols Array was completely eroded, losing its sealing function entirely.

Having done this, Miketsu floated in mid-air and began to wait quietly.

Boom!!

Suddenly, the surrounding space seemed to be struck by a giant hammer, producing a wave of distortion and ripples that vibrated with a massive sound. Simultaneously, a giant, pitch-black crack tore open in the sky.

The black crack grew larger, spreading rapidly in all directions. Then, after another crisp sound, the crack shattered open. A colossal snake skull charged out from the hole in space, letting out a silent howl as the spatial cracks around it extended rapidly toward the horizon.

Crack!!

With another clear, thunderous sound, the mirror-like surface of the sky finally collapsed under the unbearable weight. From within, the massive, gargantuan remains plummeted straight down, crashing accurately into the urban districts of Heian-kyo. Amidst the violent tremors, countless houses were instantly demolished, streets were leveled, and billowing dust filled every street and alley of Heian-kyo, shrouding the skeletal remains.

"Those humans built their city in quite the precise location."

Watching the scene before her, Miketsu murmured. Since the site for Heian-kyo had been strictly selected according to the Four Symbols configuration, it overlapped almost one hundred percent with the Great Snake's sealing location.

Without a word, Miketsu faced the situation by manifesting a giant blade of light dozens of meters long in her hand. Lifting the giant blade, she charged into the dust cloud that blanketed the city, swinging down at the massive entity hidden within. Amidst the overwhelming dust, the giant creature rose to meet her.

A heavy, massive snake skull lunged out from the dust, its jaws locking onto the slashing blade of light. Immediately, the Great Snake's somber whisper echoed through the space.

"Don't be in such a hurry... Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto. We all have plenty of time..." As it spoke, seven other skeletal snake heads lunged out from the dust one after another, their gaping maws filled with sharp fangs vying to tear into her.

Seeing this, Miketsu automatically dispelled the giant blade of light in her hands. She clenched her fists and met the successive lunges of the snake heads. Fists and bone collided repeatedly, the intense impacts agitating the air. The resulting shockwaves blew away the dust, revealing the skeletal remains of the giant snake, still reigning over myth with such a majestic posture.

Measuring six to seven hundred meters long, the eight heads and eight tails supported a nightmare-sized body. The terrifying power contained within was even able to withstand Miketsu's divine fists; this incredibly sturdy skeletal frame showed no signs of shattering even under her continuous strikes.

The initial contact between Miketsu and the Great Snake was already a fierce battle at full intensity. Amidst earth-shaking roars, Miketsu struck the Great Snake's body where the heads converged, forcing it to slide back hundreds of meters across the ground. After coming to a halt, it raised its eight heads to stare at the distant Miketsu.

"The posturing ends here... Now, let us begin the main event, Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto..."

"Is that so? Then come. I'd like to see what tricks you have..."

The eight-headed skeletal Great Snake spoke hoarsely as it bit four of its heads into the earth. Instantly, the ground trembled slightly. Around Heian-kyo, the four Four Symbols Altars simultaneously emitted a dark purple, ethereal light.

"Do not forget, this so-called Four Symbols Array was given other purposes by those humans besides sealing me... and now, I am the master of this grand array!"

Following the Great Snake's words, the four altars on all sides of Heian-kyo flared with malevolent light. Under the Great Snake's corruption, the array that once sealed it was now serving it. Powered by the Great Snake, the corrupted Four Symbols Array began to frantically drain the surrounding ley lines to replenish its own deficiencies. In an instant, the ley lines around Heian-kyo were rapidly sucked dry, and plants within a radius of hundreds of miles began to wither at an alarming rate.