In truth, Miketsu had already begun considering a crucial problem long before the Great Snake finished its erosion of three of the Four Symbols Array and turned its full attention to the fourth.
The release of the Great Snake's seal only required the Four Symbols Array to be eroded; it did not require the array to be completely destroyed or its spiritual power drained. This meant that after breaking free, the Great Snake would likely turn the corrupted Four Symbols Array to its own advantage. Consequently, on the day of the final battle, Miketsu might find herself facing two to four additional divine generals.
Understanding this, Miketsu began making preparations early. She spent a significant amount of time pondering how to alleviate the pressure brought by the Great Snake's divine generals, eventually focusing her attention on the Four Symbols Array itself.
Miketsu thought... since the spiritual power used by the Four Symbols divine generals was stored within the array, could she perhaps tamper with it beforehand?
Acting on the thought, Miketsu immediately tested the feasibility of the idea. She discovered that tampering with the three arrays already under the Great Snake's total control was unrealistic; the Great Snake would quickly detect and eliminate the threat. The only place she could act was the array the Great Snake had not yet fully eroded: the final White Tiger Array.
While the White Tiger Array had been partially eroded, a portion of it remained untainted. If she added something to this clean portion, the Great Snake likely wouldn't notice.
Miketsu entrusted this task to the Minamoto Clan. After all, they had passed down the White Tiger Seal for generations and were intimately familiar with the White Tiger Array, making them the most suitable for the mission. Minamoto no Yorimitsu accepted Miketsu's divine oracle with pleasure.
Upon receiving the task, Minamoto no Yorimitsu led the Minamoto Clan into action. Their method of sabotage was an eye-opener even for Miketsu. Drawing upon the Minamoto Clan's years of experience in cultivating and commanding shikigami, Minamoto no Yorimitsu used the clean spiritual power within the White Tiger Array to breed insects—Spirit-Eating Insects. These were microscopic creatures existing between reality and illusion that fed on spiritual power and could devour the spiritual network of humans and spirit beasts alike.
Minamoto no Yorimitsu intentionally forced these insects into a state of dormancy once they reached a certain larval stage. When Minamoto no Yorimasa absorbed them into his body, they would slowly awaken as his spiritual activity became more intense, beginning to ravenously gnaw at his spiritual network. This caused Minamoto no Yorimasa's power to leak and spiral out of control. His battle with Watatsuki no Yorihime served the exact purpose of intensifying his spiritual activity to activate the Spirit-Eating Insects.
"Roar!!"
In his tiger-beast form, Minamoto no Yorimasa let out a shrill, agonizing roar amidst violent tremors. By now, the icy fur on his body had completely melted away, revealing ugly skin bulging with blue veins. The devouring of his spiritual network caused him extreme mental agony. The loss of control and the leakage of spiritual power made it impossible for him to maintain the frost on his body. There were nearly a hundred thousand Spirit-Eating Insects; such a vast number was enough to shred Minamoto no Yorimasa's spiritual network in an instant. Once there was no spiritual network or power left to consume, the insects would turn to his soul. The Great Snake's blessing could not repair damage to the mental and spiritual realms. Amidst the thousands of stabs of mental pain, Minamoto no Yorimasa knew clearly that his end was near.
"Minamoto... no... Yorimitsu!!"
Finally, Minamoto no Yorimasa fixed his hateful gaze on the culprit who had reduced him to this state: his own brother, Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Endless rage transformed into a palpable killing intent. Beside him, Watatsuki no Yorihime had already broken free from the ice. She immediately flew to stand before Minamoto no Yorimitsu, gripping her long blade tightly.
"Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami..."
Accompanying the lunar priestess's murmur, Inari's golden divine power erupted from the blade. It extended rapidly, forming a golden light blade over ten meters long in Watatsuki no Yorihime's hands. She gripped the radiant edge, standing ready for the dying tiger's final strike.
With a roar, the massive tiger-beast Minamoto no Yorimasa lunged forward with all the strength in his four limbs, pouncing toward Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Watatsuki no Yorihime. Watatsuki no Yorihime saw her opening and leapt forward, sliding beneath the beast. The light blade in her hand sliced the tiger above her in two, and its internal organs spilled across the ground.
The tiger's body crashed to the earth. The power of the Great Snake attempted to mend the damage to its flesh, but Minamoto no Yorimasa's soul had already been devoured by the Spirit-Eating Insects. The restoration ceased. Minamoto no Yorimasa had officially entered death—a void of non-existence with no option of descending to Hell.
...
South of Heian-kyo, upon a vast clearing, a massive triangular barrier glowing with crimson light stood tall. Within the barrier, fire filled the sky and explosions thundered.
The trees and grass inside the barrier were burning fiercely. Amidst the flames, a giant red yokai fox, twenty to thirty meters long, was rampaging wildly. Its nine tails whipped up gusts of scorching flame, turning the interior of the barrier into a world of extreme heat.
In this inferno, the nine-tailed Hagoromo Gitsune faced only one enemy: the white-haired girl with flaming wings flapping behind her, Fujiwara no Mokou.
Hagoromo Gitsune spat a powerful demonic flame bullet from her mouth, accurately blasting the incoming Fujiwara no Mokou into fragments. However, this scene of 'victory' did not bring even a hint of relief to Hagoromo Gitsune's face.
"Huff... the... ninety-fifth time... is it not over yet..."
The nine-tailed Hagoromo Gitsune spoke while panting. Immediately, another voice rang out nearby, sounding almost like a reminder.
"No, it's the ninety-ninth time... You, the killer, aren't as clear on the count as I am, the one being killed..."
Hagoromo Gitsune turned her gaze and saw Fujiwara no Mokou reforming amidst the fire in the air not far away. Fujiwara no Mokou looked on with a calm expression, while Hagoromo Gitsune's face was filled with irritation.
Upon seeing Fujiwara no Mokou, Hagoromo Gitsune immediately followed up with another flame bullet. This time, however, the projectile missed, grazing past Fujiwara no Mokou and slamming into the earth behind her, triggering another violent explosion. Facing this missed strike, Fujiwara no Mokou crossed her arms and shook her head.
"Tsk... You actually missed this time. Your condition is getting worse and worse. Is your mind finally starting to blur?"
"Shut up..."
Hagoromo Gitsune responded fiercely, then spat another flame bullet, blasting the barely recovered Fujiwara no Mokou to pieces once more. Hagoromo Gitsune did not relax; her nerves remained taut as she stayed alert to her surroundings. This person who could never be killed had already pushed Hagoromo Gitsune's already unstable mind to the brink of collapse. Hagoromo Gitsune felt as though she were participating in a never-ending race.
"The hundredth time... Congratulations, you've reached a new milestone..."
Accompanied by calm words, Fujiwara no Mokou gathered herself from the flames once again. She looked at the fire fox before her and smiled with a hint of madness.
"As a reward, I'll share some of my insights on controlling fire with you. Fire is a violent power where danger and potency coexist. Therefore, the more dangerous the method of use, the greater the power. If you don't have the resolve to blow yourself to smithereens, you shouldn't be playing with fire..."
As Fujiwara no Mokou spoke, intense flames surged around her newly restored body.
Rate on N.U.
