At this moment, just as lively as the Kamo Estate was the Onmyō Bureau.
Two days ago, the great onmyōji Seimei had shut himself inside the secret chamber of his residence, refusing all visitors.
He had even declined a summons from the Emperor, sending word that he was ill.
Even if the Emperor's actual authority was far less impressive than his title suggested, he was still acknowledged by Ise Grand Shrine as a descendant of Amaterasu Ōmikami in the mortal world. If any other onmyōji had shown such disrespect, they would likely have already been condemned by public opinion and attacked from all sides.
Yet when it came to Seimei, the matter seemed to stir little disturbance in Kyoto.
However, those with sharp eyes would not let such an opportunity pass—they keenly sensed that the atmosphere within the Onmyō Bureau headquarters was different from usual, and thus decided to probe it.
After all, since some had already attempted a roundabout approach through Kamo no Yasunori's father, there would naturally be a group of hotheaded youths encouraged to perform the traditional art of the subordinate overthrowing the superior.
The idea itself was not bad, but the execution was far too crude—they had not even inquired properly and thus failed to learn that the notoriously ill-tempered Ashiya Dōman was currently inside.
As a result, the moment they saw the white-haired Ashiya Dōman step out from within the Onmyō Bureau, everyone instantly fell silent.
Unlike Seimei, Ashiya Dōman came from common origins.
The reason he had climbed step by step to his current position could, without exaggeration, be attributed entirely to his peerless talent in onmyō arts.
Yet in Kyoto, his unmistakable grassroots air and his rough, violent style left a deeper impression than even his exceptional talent.
Thus, any perceptive onmyōji who saw this gloomy-faced man walking out of the Onmyō Bureau had already quietly slipped away.
As the Doctor of Onmyōdō—one of the Four Departments—descended the steps one stride at a time, the Assistant Onmyōji and the Senior Onmyōji present lowered their heads under an invisible pressure, bowing to this man second only to the Chief Onmyōji. The entire scene fell into a strange, oppressive silence.
The entire Bureau was so quiet one could hear a needle drop. Aside from the faint sound of Ashiya Dōman's footsteps, not a single onmyōji dared even breathe loudly.
"Shinbara Clan…"
"Sanada Clan…"
"Izumiyama Clan…"
"Maemoto Clan…"
"Takahashi Clan…"
...
As Ashiya Dōman called out each name, one word at a time, every onmyōji whose clan was mentioned trembled like mice confronted by a cat, their heads lowering even further.
"Hm? Weren't you all quite talkative just now? Why have you all gone mute the moment I arrived?"
Ashiya Dōman's pale hair drifted beneath his black hat, a phenomenon caused by the restless surge of onmyō power within him.
His hawk-like eyes swept across the onmyōji as he spoke in a tone that sounded calm yet carried unmistakable menace. "Well? Do none of you have anything to say? Or is it that I—Ashiya Dōman—am not qualified to hear your words?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the group of onmyōji immediately dropped into dogeza.
The one who had taken the lead trembled as he replied, "Lord Dōman… we… we came today seeking an audience with Lord Seimei. Some of our colleagues have matters they wish to discuss with him."
"Oh~~ you have business to discuss with that fellow Seimei? You could have said so earlier."
"Yes, yes, that's exactly it."
Seeing that Ashiya Dōman's attitude seemed to soften, the surrounding onmyōji hurried to echo the sentiment.
Ashiya Dōman feigned sudden understanding. Then he abruptly grabbed the speaking onmyōji, stared straight into his eyes, and suddenly raised his voice. "Are you saying that I, as Doctor of Onmyōdō, am not qualified to hear what you have to say?"
"Ah, th-this… my lord, you misunderstand. I absolutely did not mean that."
The unfortunate onmyōji, singled out as the scapegoat, went pale with fright. As one sent by his clan merely to test the waters, he was hardly a core member nurtured with care. His own caliber was naturally limited.
Startled by Ashiya Dōman, he completely lost his composure and forgot entirely what he had come here to do.
Seeing their leader reduced to such a state, the other onmyōji grew even more silent, inwardly regretting why they had waded into this mess at all.
"Since that's not what you meant, then whatever you have to say can be said to me. I'll pass it along to Seimei later."
"Uh, there's nothing… nothing at all. It's just that this subordinate has been feeling slightly unwell and wished to request a few days' leave." At a critical moment, the onmyōji was not entirely foolish. In his panic, he managed to produce an excuse.
Ashiya Dōman raised an eyebrow and looked around. "And the rest of you? Did the onmyōji from your clans also come here to request leave? Don't tell me you've all fallen ill together today."
"Ah, well…"
A few had originally intended to feign illness as well, but after hearing that remark, they shuddered and dared not utter another word.
"Oh?" Ashiya Dōman's sharp gaze swept the surroundings before settling once more on the onmyōji who had claimed illness.
He stood a head taller than the man. Leaning down close to his ear, he said softly, "You're sick? Shall I summon a few shikigami to treat you?"
Hearing this, the onmyōji collapsed onto the ground in fright.
Just then, from within the Onmyō Bureau behind them, came Seimei's voice, as gentle as a spring breeze.
—"Cough… cough… that's enough, Lord Dōman. There's no need to frighten them further. They are merely acting at someone else's behest."
"Hmph—"
At the sound of that voice, Ashiya Dōman let out a cold snort, his usual iceberg-like expression returning.
"You lot—scram!"
As if granted amnesty, the onmyōji fled at once, no longer caring about whatever task they had originally been assigned.
"A bunch of trash."
After cursing them, Ashiya Dōman turned and walked back into the main hall of the Onmyō Bureau.
Within the main hall.
Seimei sat there. This time, he had removed the folding screen, revealing his true appearance.
His face was handsome yet pale, with a faint trace of rouge still visible on his flushed cheeks. Part of his long black hair was bound beneath his eboshi, while the rest cascaded down like a waterfall.
Kyoto's most favored onmyōji wore a faint smile as he coughed and spoke. "Driving them away like that—aren't you afraid of offending those backing them?"
Ashiya Dōman replied disdainfully, "Let them come. We'll see who ends up kneeling and begging."
"Ah, that temper of yours."
Seimei pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly, then broke into another fit of coughing.
"Hmph. You should worry more about yourself. Just how did you injure yourself so badly?"
"Merely reaping what I sowed."
Seeing that he did not wish to elaborate, Ashiya Dōman did not press further. He asked directly, "Why did you call me here this time? To choose an auspicious day for your burial?"
Seimei let out a light laugh. "Thank you for your concern. I won't be dying anytime soon…"
Then the renowned onmyōji of Kyoto spoke softly, "This time, I do indeed have an important matter to ask of you—I would like you to accelerate the progress of the Spiral Seal."
Hearing this, Ashiya Dōman stared into Seimei's enchanting eyes, half-hidden behind his bat fan, and asked, "So you've finally made up your mind?"
Seimei nodded.
On the surface, the Spiral Seal was an unfinished grand sealing formation. Anyone who had lived in Kyoto long enough and worked within the Shinto sphere would, in one way or another, come into contact with this vast formation in their daily lives.
Yet most of them did not know the original reason for its establishment. They only knew that the formation used eight locations as its foundation—
Nijō Castle, Shōkoku-ji, Kinkaku-ji, Saihō-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Ryōan-ji, Katsura Imperial Villa, Fushimi Inari Taisha.
Using these as nodes, it converted earth's power into purifying force, maintaining the balance within Kyoto.
With Ashiya Dōman's talent, would he truly create something so ornate yet impractical? Of course not.
When Satsuki first entered Kyoto, she had already noticed this massive formation. Even then, with her perspective, she could see that the Spiral Seal was in fact incomplete.
As its architect, Ashiya Dōman was not incapable of finishing it. The timing simply had not yet arrived.
The Spiral Seal was far too large to conceal. Since hiding it was impossible, they instead assigned it a secondary, relatively insignificant function to blur its true purpose.
As a result, the genuine secret of the Spiral Seal was known to only three people in all of Kyoto—Ashiya Dōman, Seimei, and Kamo no Yasunori's father.
The reason Ashiya Dōman had immediately returned to the Onmyō Bureau to report after the last incident involving the Spiral Seal was precisely because of this matter.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Dōman's expression turned solemn. "Does Master Yasunori's father know about this?"
Seimei shook his head helplessly. "Ever since the incident with the Lunar Palace, I've wanted to visit Master, but…"
"But you've been turned away at the door every time, haven't you?"
Dōman fell silent for a moment, then said, "Let's visit Master together."
"Mm~ not a bad idea. He may refuse to see me, but he can't very well avoid you."
Seimei's signature faint smile returned, and his eyes inadvertently radiated that bewitching aura.
Dōman snorted in his usual fashion. "That was your real purpose in dragging me here, wasn't it? As roundabout as ever."
"Hehe, don't put it so harshly."
...
Far from Kyoto, within Musashi Province.
Amid the lush mountains and forests, Satsuki walked quietly along the road. Behind her, a carriage followed closely.
Shrine maiden Kikyo sat at the reins, guiding the horse forward. True to her own words, she was determined to save everyone she could.
She had emptied the merchants' carriage of its goods, then gone down the cliff to retrieve Onigumo—whose entire body was fractured and who had fallen unconscious.
After stabilizing his condition temporarily with spiritual power, she had summoned a shikigami to carefully carry the dying man onto the carriage, intending to transport him to a nearby village for temporary shelter.
Satsuki observed all of this coldly, saying not another word.
It was not a reaction to Kikyo's choice. In truth, she had been entirely focused on observing the changes in [Karma], leaving her no interest in Kikyo's actions.
She had already said what needed to be said. Kikyo was an adult—everyone must bear responsibility for their own choices. That was the most basic principle.
Creak…
Creak…
Creak…
Even after Kikyo's emergency treatment, Onigumo's injuries remained severe.
Blade wounds. A grotesque, open cavity caused by a lead bullet from a firearm. Extensive fractures from the fall off the cliff. Though stabilized, his condition was still critical. The fact that he clung to life at all was largely due to his own formidable willpower.
With the cargo removed, the carriage remained light even with two passengers aboard. The wheels jolted up and down along the muddy road.
For someone with fractures throughout his entire body, such treatment would be excruciating beyond measure. If Onigumo had not been in deep unconsciousness, he would likely have been cursing aloud.
Fortunately, Kikyo soon spotted a village.
From afar, a villager dressed as a hunter noticed Satsuki and Kikyo. Kikyo's unmistakable shrine maiden attire served as a reliable pass in this era.
No village would reject the appearance of a demon-slaying shrine maiden within its boundaries.
After all, in this age, aside from war, yōkai posed the greatest threat to humanity—natural disasters ranked only after those two.
"Mm?"
Just as the hunter began walking toward them, Kikyo—seated on the carriage—suddenly stiffened and snapped her gaze toward a direction in the nearby forest.
Her spiritual perception was vast. She had keenly detected a surge of demonic energy rapidly approaching.
"Be careful!" she immediately warned.
The one who appeared was a familiar face.
Her upper body resembled that of a Japanese noblewoman, complete with maru eyebrows and disheveled hair, her torso bare. Below the waist, however, extended the enormous segmented body of a centipede. Among lower-ranked yōkai, she was barely passable—Mistress Centipede.
Relying on her numerous legs, she moved with astonishing speed. Her massive body granted her tremendous strength as well.
Her sudden appearance nearly frightened the distant hunter to death. Fortunately for him, the yōkai's target was not the hunter—but Satsuki.
"…I can smell it. You carry the scent of the Shikon Jewel."
"Mm?"
Satsuki stood quietly in place, regarding Mistress Centipede with an utterly indifferent gaze, offering no reply.
The demonic energy surrounding Mistress Centipede seemed to have been enhanced by some external force. Yet in essence, she remained a weak yōkai.
That assessment, of course, was relative to Satsuki and Kikyo.
If an ordinary village encountered a yōkai of Mistress Centipede's level, they would likely need the combined strength of the entire village merely to drive her away—and even then, killing her would be nearly impossible.
Normally, she lurked underground. This time, she had sensed the aura of the Shikon Jewel in her sleep and burst out from the forest.
Driven by instinct and ambition for greater power, she charged forward recklessly.
Her enormous centipede body twisted violently, fully displaying the brutality and ferocity of a yōkai. It was her usual tactic.
Humans and other prey, upon witnessing her full form, had always done only one thing—scatter in panic.
But this time, she had miscalculated.
Kikyo had already drawn the Bow of Purification from her back and taken aim—
Whoosh!
The purifying arrow, infused with spiritual power brilliant enough to illuminate the sky in violet light, shot forward with a violent tearing sound through the air.
Struck head-on, Mistress Centipede's skull exploded instantly, the top of her head blown away. Her massive body was cleaved cleanly in two by the overwhelming spiritual force.
In the blink of an eye, that enormous form was purified into scattered fragments.
Among the shrine maidens Satsuki had seen, Kikyo's spiritual power was not the strongest. If faced with multiple high-ranking yōkai at once, she would likely fall into danger.
But against a yōkai of Mistress Centipede's caliber, she was nothing less than an efficient and terrifying killing machine.
As for Satsuki, she maintained her unhurried pace from beginning to end, walking calmly forward until she reached the stunned villager.
She asked evenly, "May I ask—where is this place?"
"Ah, this… this is… Kaede Village."