"Good boy, you're going all out, huh."
Ruri did not dare to take Sesshōmaru lightly as he held the Samsara Sword. After all, that blade contained a portion of its wielder's own power—if she were struck even once, she would not walk away unscathed.
With a flicker of thought, her Boundless Barrier unfolded around her. In the next instant, a massive surge of golden-green demonic energy formed a violent pulse of particle flow that howled fiercely as it crashed into the barrier Ruri had raised.
At the point where the two forces collided, tangible sparks erupted, crackling pi-li-pa-la amid a roaring storm of lightning that coiled into a raging dragon of electricity—its claws and fangs seeming eager to tear down the entire structure in its frenzy.
However, when that immense energy tried to break free, it was instead reflected by the demonic tails that had already coiled protectively around the area.
"Challenging my barrier isn't exactly a wise choice."
Standing firm, Ruri tilted her lips upward slightly. She had once said that the nature of her barrier was to distort the trajectory of an enemy's power—deflecting every ounce of force and returning it upon its wielder.
To break through such a barrier, there were only two methods: either unleash a power output that exceeded its endurance limit in a single instant, or possess a level of demonic energy control far surpassing hers, such that one's power could not be deflected.
But Ruri's power template had been reconstructed from that of the Nine-Tailed Fox, granting her nearly limitless strength and resistance to suppression. To surpass her barrier's endurance limit?
Aside from Satsuki, perhaps only Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—after consuming the God Tree's fruit—could achieve such a feat. Sesshōmaru was far from being comparable to beings capable of extinguishing worlds with a mere gesture.
As for superior control?
Ruri herself was the embodiment of computational precision, later augmented by the Akasha Record, a manifestation of the Root itself. Even Alaya's intellect might only barely compare.
At present, Sesshōmaru's demonic energy was in a chaotic state of rampage. Fine control over it was nearly impossible.
Thus, despite the overwhelming destructive might and Perpetuity property contained within Sesshōmaru's strike, it still proved utterly futile against Ruri's barrier.
"This farce should end now, Sesshōmaru."
As Ruri's calm words echoed from within the barrier, her aura suddenly transformed. The demonic tails entwined around the building shimmered with light before all materialized completely.
Even Sesshōmaru—consumed by his berserk state—could sense the horrifying power within those tails.
Roooar~~
Unable to speak in his deeply demonized form, Sesshōmaru let out a low, guttural growl to express his unease and fury.
Then, countless eyes began to open across the surface of each tail. They glimmered like a constellation of unfathomable entities—gazing upon Sesshōmaru with madness and wisdom beyond mortal comprehension.
From all directions, violet light converged upon the rampaging Sesshōmaru, attempting to suppress him where he stood.
But Sesshōmaru, as a great yōkai, could not be subdued so easily—especially not after having absorbed such an enormous amount of demonic energy.
Without entering her true form, Ruri could no longer suppress him.
Golden-green lightning flared from Sesshōmaru's right hand, enveloping the Samsara Sword. His body pulsed with immense energy, the red glow upon his skin abruptly shifting to blue.
The surge of power would have torn through the roof, but it rebounded against the tails of demonic energy above him.
Yet it was enough—Sesshōmaru's explosive yōki shattered Ruri's suppressive force.
In the next moment, his crimson eyes traced a luminous arc across the air—not toward Ruri, but toward Satsuki standing behind her.
Then, he swung his sword.
A slash many times fiercer than the last roared forth like a tidal wave, rushing straight for Ruri.
"Honestly... once you go berserk, you lose all sense of strategy, don't you? Even with a divine weapon in hand, this mindless flailing is utterly pointless..."
Ruri once again deployed the Boundless Barrier around her body—this time, she had decided to hold nothing back. Yet in the next instant, what unfolded before her eyes made even her usually composed expression shift sharply.
That raging torrent of power bypassed her barrier entirely, piercing through the eye of her demonic energy vortex, and shot straight toward Satsuki, who had been watching the scene unfold with calm amusement.
"—How is this possible?! He's already able to control that demonic power?"
Such talent? Such growth speed?
Even Ruri couldn't help but feel astonished by the ability Sesshōmaru displayed. This was only his second strike, and he could already control a power several times greater than his own demonic energy—this was simply...
"Hmph~ barely acceptable, I suppose."
Those softly spoken words slipped from Satsuki's lips, too faint for Ruri to hear clearly amidst the storm of roaring energy.
Inwardly, Ruri only prayed that this attack wouldn't provoke Satsuki's unpredictable temperament—and that she wouldn't, on a whim, swat Sesshōmaru into oblivion.
However, Satsuki didn't even lift her hand. A faint gleam flashed through her Tenseigan, and the space around her rippled and distorted.
The massive surge of energy that had bypassed Ruri struck toward her—but no explosion followed, no sound or impact at all. It was as though the attack had been redirected into a void. Within rippling waves of distorted space, that energy—capable of cleaving a city in two—vanished completely, unable to approach within even three inches of Satsuki.
"...Impossible."
A flicker of disbelief flashed through Sesshōmaru's crimson eyes, but he soon realized he had no time to dwell on it.
The overwhelming demonic tails sweeping in from all directions and the swirling vortex of cursed eyes beneath his feet had already locked tightly onto him.
"You little brat—you were pretending this whole time, weren't you?!"
Feeling utterly played, Ruri bristled with fury. Abandoning all restraint, she fixed her killing intent squarely on Sesshōmaru. She had decided—this blow would make him learn to respect his seniors properly.
Her system declared it so: even if Jesus himself came down, it wouldn't help him now.
However, as usual, events did not unfold in the system's favor.
"That's enough."
A quiet voice came from behind her—Satsuki's.
"Yes, Lady!"
The moment she heard her master's command, Ruri instantly overturned the murderous intent she had just resolved to unleash. Without hesitation, she retracted the demonic tails that were about to strike Sesshōmaru, and the vortex of cursed eyes beneath him disappeared in an instant.
Ruri herself stood aside with the demeanor of an obedient child, as though the intense killing intent from moments earlier had been nothing more than a brief attempt to liven the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, with Satsuki's single command, the violent demonic energy raging around Sesshōmaru gradually subsided under her control. His body reverted from its demonized state to his usual cold, noble composure.
Aside from the slightly disheveled state of his kimono, there was little sign of change.
At that moment, Sesshōmaru's gaze was fixed upon the transformed Samsara Sword in his hand.
The ethereal blade, though less dazzling than when wielded by Satsuki, now radiated a sense of deep resonance with his bloodline. With every pulse of demonic energy through his body, the green-glowing sword seemed to thrum in unison.
Observing the transformed Sesshōmaru, Satsuki waved her hand slightly and closed her eyes. "It's only temporary, but I've used the Samsara Sword to draw out the power of the Bakusaiga within you. You may leave now."
"Bakusaiga?"
Sesshōmaru looked down at the sword in his hand, now settling into its final form. He slid it calmly into his waist scabbard.
Then, turning toward Satsuki, he gave a silent nod of acknowledgment. In the next instant—whoosh—his figure blurred into a fleeting afterimage and vanished without a trace.
"Tch, such an impolite boy. Not even a single word of thanks?"
Ruri seemed to be criticizing Sesshōmaru, but her sharp gaze was actually fixed on Satsuki's expression.
"Do you really think I'm that petty?" Satsuki clearly saw through her system's thoughts. Watching Sesshōmaru disappear into the distance, she said calmly, "Even if he can now temporarily wield the power of the Bakusaiga, facing the Lunar Palace will still be a harsh trial for such an inexperienced youth."
...
After Sesshōmaru's departure, Satsuki and Ruri did not go out to wander. Although many things had happened recently, in truth, it was still only midday—the day after the shrine maidens from Yasaka Shrine had arrived in Heian-kyō.
But today, too, was destined to be another busy one.
Sure enough, not long after the usual lunchtime of this world had passed, there came a series of knocks—ton-ton-ton—at Satsuki's door.
Ruri went to open it. From behind her stepped Satsuki, elegantly dressed in her alluring black kimono. Her golden eyes swept across the outer courtyard, taking in the sight of the two groups waiting outside.
On one side stood the young Saigū of Yasaka Shrine, accompanied by the three representatives of the Sakura clan:
The Exorcist Monk: Hayato Sakura.
The Black Shrine Maiden: Shino Sakura.
The Demon-Hunting Miko: Amami Sakura.
Facing them stood a group of Onmyōji, dressed in formal kariginu robes and wearing tall eboshi hats.
Leading them was the Onmyōji Keimei, who had spoken with Satsuki the other day. Beside him stood Hikaru, along with Hanakaiin Kaede as well.
Satsuki also noticed that Kaede's kariginu now bore a distinctly different pattern from before—he had been promoted from a lowly trainee to a Junior Onmyō Assistant.
Though only one rank higher, the leap was monumental—it was the difference between a commoner and an official. Given Kaede's original life trajectory, such advancement should have taken years to achieve.
It seemed that Satsuki's 'substitution' during the incident at Fushimi Inari Shrine had greatly elevated the boy's reputation within the Bureau, leading to this swift promotion.
Whether this would turn out to be a blessing or a curse for him would depend entirely on whether he possessed the talent to bear the weight of this newfound fortune.
"Everyone, what brings you here?"
Even surrounded by so many high-ranking figures of the Shinto and Onmyō arts, Satsuki's demeanor remained as calm and detached as still water.
Of course, those present either had personally witnessed her overwhelming power or had heard sworn testimony from colleagues. None dared show the slightest disrespect toward this independent shrine maiden—for while position was important, true strength was the ultimate measure of authority.
Saigū Sakura Fubuki, being the one most familiar with Satsuki among them, was the first to speak.
"Lady Satsuki, yesterday we finished registering and arranging care for those unfortunate women with the priests of Yasaka Shrine. According to custom, they must now undergo the Purification Rite of Harae Misogi."
The Purification Rite...
As someone well-versed in history, Satsuki was not unfamiliar with this ritual.
Harae Misogi was one of the oldest forms of religious purification, a ritual of exorcism and cleansing from misfortune.
From its etymology, Harae meant "to expel evil through ritual," a ceremony meant to banish disaster and impurity. Misogi, on the other hand, meant "to cleanse." In ancient times, during spring and autumn, such ceremonies were performed beside rivers to wash away defilement.
Thus, when combined, Harae Misogi referred to the act of purifying oneself through water to dispel evil and misfortune. The ancients would cleanse themselves at the water's edge, not merely to wash but to purify their spirits and remove corruption.
In spring, the ceremony was often held on the National Serpent Day in early March, accompanied by bathing, gathering orchids, drinking wine, and reciting poetry.
It was this very Harae Misogi that later evolved into the elegant literati tradition of the Winding Stream Party, where poetry and wine replaced exorcistic prayers.
The Winding Stream Party was a ritual of refined beauty, also known as Kyokusui no En Festival. A wine cup would be placed in the upper stream of a winding brook and allowed to drift naturally with the current. Whoever the cup stopped nearest to would take it, drink, and compose a poem.
However, in a Kyoto infested with yōkai and other supernatural beings, the Harae Misogi ritual retained an irreplaceable importance—its function went far beyond simple elegance.
As knowledge of the rite turned swiftly in her mind, Satsuki gave a small nod. "Do you require my presence at the ceremony?"
"If it would not inconvenience you," replied the shrine maiden Sakura Fubuki with a bow. "As the one who rescued those women from Shuten Nyōko's hands, your presence would be a tremendous encouragement to them. Moreover, should anything unforeseen occur, your power would ensure their safety."
Ensure that nothing unforeseen occurs...
That reminder made Satsuki pause. Indeed, she needed to make sure that Shuten Nyōko caused no further trouble during the ceremony. After a brief moment of thought, she nodded in agreement.
"Understood. I will attend. When the time comes, inform me directly, Lady Saigū."
Having said this, Satsuki turned her gaze toward the group of Onmyōji beside them.
"And what matter brings the esteemed Onmyōji here today?"
Keimei stepped forward respectfully. "To speak frankly, my superior has requested an audience with you, Lady Miko."
"Your superior? And who might that be?"
"The Hakase of the Onmyōryō in Kyoto—Lord Kamo no Tadayuki."
At that name, even the members of the Sakura clan from Yasaka Shrine exchanged surprised looks.
"A summons from that man himself?"
"They say he is a descendant of the immortal ascetic, En no Ozunu. Beyond the Onmyō arts, he is well-versed in many fields of study, particularly divination."
...
A descendant of En no Ozunu?
A trace of curiosity flickered across Satsuki's face. She had once spent a period of time at Katori Shrine with En no Ozunu himself.
His full name had been Kamo no En no Ozunu—and in terms of power, he was indeed one of the strongest Shinto practitioners Satsuki had ever encountered. With two mighty oni gods under his command, he could travel freely across the entire realm.
Unfortunately, when he faced the Three Divine Kings of the Lunar Palace, he had been utterly defeated—so thoroughly that even his pride was left in tatters—and was forced to return to Katori Shrine to devise countermeasures.
If this Kamo no Tadayuki was indeed his descendant, then he was likely a fairly capable Onmyōji in his own right.
Perhaps through him, Satsuki could uncover deeper truths behind the current state of Kyoto.
Questions swirled in her mind: Who had constructed the Spiral Seal—and for what purpose? Why could that woman walk freely through the city, unseen and unchallenged by all? And most of all—what had truly transpired between the Kunitsukami and the Amatsukami in ancient times to bring about the world's present condition?
"Very well," Satsuki said softly, her golden eyes gleaming. "Honored priests and Onmyōji—please, lead the way."