After that discussion, Satsuki, Ruri, and Sesshōmaru stayed within Yasaka Shrine for another half month before the entire operation was finally arranged.
Even for Yasaka Shrine, organizing an expedition to subjugate a great yōkai was no simple task, so such extensive preparations were only natural.
Whenever such an operation was underway, Yasaka Shrine would always hold a mobilization assembly—after all, many of those departing might never return.
However, Satsuki's performance on that day had earned her a certain degree of autonomy; she was not required to act under the direct command of the three captains leading the subjugation squad.
Since being disciplined by her that day, Sesshōmaru had noticeably restrained much of his killing intent and cold demeanor.
Though his strength had not increased significantly, at least it appeared he was attempting to take a step toward greater growth.
Hong~ hong~ hong~
As the great bell within the shrine tolled, the mobilization assembly finally came to an end.
A force of around thirty shrine maidens and monks gathered in formation and set off in grand procession toward Mt. Ōe.
In terms of strength, such a unit—if willing to disregard all costs—could very well take down a great yōkai that was not particularly powerful.
...
Though still within the Western Lands, the journey from Yasaka Shrine to Mt. Ōe required some time.
However, with over thirty shrine maidens and monks from Yasaka Shrine acting together, the sheer scale of their spiritual power was terrifying.
Even with Satsuki and Ruri taking more of an observing role along the way, the group purified and vanquished over a hundred yōkai and oni on their march, while the number of wandering souls they exorcised and laid to rest was beyond count.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the leading shrine maiden—Miyabi—once again emphasized their objective.
"Everyone, our target this time is Hoshiguma Dōji, one of Shuten Dōji's subordinates."
"Compared to Shuten Dōji, Hoshiguma Dōji may be weaker in terms of curse-based sorcery, but his raw physical strength surpasses even Shuten Dōji's."
"Unless absolutely necessary, do not engage him head-on. Our primary strategy is to lure him into our formation barriers. Once trapped, we will begin purifying his corrupt aura to weaken his power before engaging in direct combat. Is that clear?"
"Understood."
Everyone nodded in unison.
Boom~
At that moment, the ground beneath them shook violently, followed by a deafening roar. Everyone's expressions changed instantly.
Boom~
With the tremor, rocks began tumbling down the slopes ahead. The muddy road turned to chaos as yellow dust billowed upward, and under the oppressive force of a terrifying demonic aura, two massive tornadoes formed before them.
Boom~
A third explosion followed, the earth splitting apart. From deep within the Mt. Ōe range, cracks like spiderwebs spread outward until they reached the group's very feet.
It was not their first time encountering such a phenomenon. Miyabi shouted sharply, "Be careful! This kind of sign means Hoshiguma Dōji is coming! Quickly—set up the barriers to block him!"
The order was sound, but the tremors grew stronger and stronger. Even though the shrine maidens had prepared in advance, the quaking earth made it impossible to chant stably.
Meanwhile, the twin tornadoes—like two golden dragons—hurtled toward them with unstoppable force.
Sesshōmaru, standing beside Satsuki, narrowed his eyes and was about to draw his sword to disperse the storms.
But Satsuki stopped him, speaking softly, "They can handle this."
Sesshōmaru hesitated for a moment, suppressing the demonic energy that had begun to surge from his body.
Satsuki's judgment was correct. If Yasaka Shrine could not even withstand this level of assault, the idea of subjugating Hoshiguma Dōji would indeed be a farce.
At the front of the formation, eight monks in long kasaya robes stood shoulder to shoulder. Faint golden light radiated from their bodies as they became one with the trembling earth beneath their feet—utterly unmoved despite the quakes.
As the twin tornadoes approached, the eight monks raised their right hands in unison, extending their palms toward the oncoming storm.
"Spiritual Power!"
With a loud shout, a surge of violet light burst forth from the monks' hands. In the next instant, a violent gale erupted from their palms, colliding head-on with the two massive tornadoes.
It was as if two natural disasters had met.
The tearing wind pressure and raging air currents exploded at their point of contact, sending waves of force rippling outward. Countless cracks split across the surrounding mountain slopes. Before such overwhelming might, any human army or exorcist would be nothing more than ants.
Within the narrow mountain path, the two tornadoes and the monks' storm clashed fiercely. Trees, rocks, and everything clinging to the slopes were ripped free and flung into the air. Hidden yōkai and lesser oni caught within the maelstrom were shredded into countless fragments, their shrieks drowned in the roar of the wind—leaving behind no trace of body or bone.
In just an instant, everything around them except the mountain itself had been obliterated, the ground laid bare to the gravelly soil beneath.
Even Sesshōmaru, standing beside Satsuki, could not help but grow solemn at the sight.
—If the Dog Clan's yōkai were to face such a storm, what means could they possibly use to resist it, other than relying on stronger protectors?
For a brief moment, he found no answer.
Then, dozens of sacred arrows joined the battle—the exorcist shrine maidens, having regained their footing through chanting, unleashed their counterattack.
Like falling stars streaking through the heavens, each sacred arrow radiated immense spiritual power, leaving trails of violet light across the sky as they shot toward the center point between the colliding storms.
The power of purification and exorcism exploded in a dazzling burst of holy light.
Under that overwhelming surge of reiryoku, the demonic energy within the two dragon-like tornadoes was gradually suppressed and scattered. The monks' wind incantations pressed the twin storms back inch by inch until they finally dissipated into the air.
However, before anyone could even take a breath—
A languid yet arrogant female voice echoed from deep within the valley.
"Oh? And here I thought it was someone else. So it's just another mess left behind by that fool Shuten again… I'll have to give him a piece of my mind next time we meet."
The speaker's form was obscured by swirling dust and smoke. From the faint silhouette, it was clear that each of her steps made the earth tremble, just as before.
Yet, as the figure drew closer, the tremors began to subside—controlled by her will. When she finally emerged from the golden haze, the figure of a beautiful yet terrifying female oni came into view.
She possessed long golden hair and a single crimson horn upon her forehead. Enormous metal chains coiled around her arms—once shackles meant to restrain her, now torn apart and worn as ornaments around her wrists.
A suffocating pressure radiated from her body, her demonic aura heavy enough to make the very air quiver. Her crimson oni eyes swept across the exorcist force before her, filled with undeniable dominance and faint disdain.
"Before that, though," she said, a faint smile curling across her lips, "I do hope you can entertain this King for a little while."
One of Shuten Dōji's four great Oni Kings—
Among the four titles of [Fury], [Power], [Madness], and [Spirit], she was the [Oni King of Strength].
The moment she appeared, a crushing pressure swept across the entire subjugation force.
As soon as those provocative words left her lips, the Oni King lightly stomped her foot upon the ground.
Boom~
It was as though heaven and earth themselves were overturning. Everyone within the subjugation force felt the world tremble violently—as if the entire mountain range groaned in agony beneath her feet.
Then came a deafening roar!
An immense surge of power flowed from Hoshiguma Dōji's foot into the ground, tearing open the earth. Like a slumbering dragon turning in its sleep, fissures erupted toward the exorcist formation in a violent surge.
"Protect!"
The leader of the monk squad, Sakura Hayato, rushed forward, thrusting his staff into the ground. Behind him appeared the radiant figure of a golden deity.
At the same time, two other monks flanked him to the left and right, performing the same ritual.
Three divine avatars materialized behind them—each a shimmering golden godly form. With a unified shout, the trio thrust their palms forward toward the oncoming ruptures.
The divine power of possession collided head-on with the Oni King's brute strength!
The two pure, titanic forces intertwined, producing a piercing subsonic howl that tore through the air!
Then came the shockwave—a visible ripple of distortion that swept out in every direction!
Under such raw force, even the shrine maidens armed with bows found their sacred arrows useless—their arrows simply lacked the power to pierce through that overwhelming pressure.
"Ha—!!" x3
The three monks shouted in unison, enormous shields of light forming before them. They had to block every one of her attacks; the opponent before them was an Oni King, not inferior to a great daiyōkai. Though they were half-divine beings, their physical bodies were far weaker. A single misstep could mean instant death.
Hong~
The moment the light shields solidified, they were immediately battered by the roaring shockwave and howling wind, echoing with thunderous clangs like the tolling of colossal bronze bells.
"Oh? Not bad—you can actually hold on."
A faint, bloodthirsty grin appeared on Hoshiguma Dōji's face, who had initially looked down on the shrine maidens and monks with contempt.
"Then—how about this?!"
This time, she extended both arms and clapped her palms toward the air before her.
Rumble~~
A thunderous boom, like the roar of distant thunder, exploded from her palms. A violent wave of energy surged along the ground's fissures, crashing straight toward the defending monks.
The sheer force was beyond imagination. Even though the monks were still under their 'Divine Possession' state, they could no longer endure it. The shockwave lifted them off their feet, hurling them through the air.
But just as their bodies were flung skyward, their expressions froze suddenly—and brilliant flashes of spiritual light erupted from their forms.
Pop~ pop~ pop~
With three bursts of smoke, the monks' figures vanished—replaced by three floating paper effigies.
Then, from within the crowd, three plumes of smoke rose once again, and the monks reappeared unharmed.
Seeing this, Satsuki couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity. Isn't this basically the ninja's most basic technique—Substitution Jutsu? She hadn't expected to see something so similar here.
Still, thanks to their efforts, the monks had bought enough time.
Four shrine maidens dedicated to barrier formation had already poured their spiritual power into their kagura bells, chanting in unison. Their incantations now reached their climax.
"Eastern constellations—Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, Basket—seven stars, their form like a dragon, known as the Azure Dragon of the East."
"Southern constellations—Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, Chariot—seven stars, their form like a bird, known as the Vermilion Bird of the South."
"Western constellations—Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak, Three Stars—seven stars, their form like a tiger, known as the White Tiger of the West."
"Northern constellations—Dipper, Ox, Maiden, Void, Danger, Room, Wall—seven stars, their form like a tortoise entwined with a serpent, known as the Black Tortoise of the North."
As their chanting reached its end, celestial light from the corresponding constellations shone down from above. Empowered by divine blessing, the energy gathered behind the shrine maidens, forming spiritual avatars unique to the Sakura clan.
These were not the common humanoid deities.
They were the four guardian spirits representing the cardinal directions—[Azure Dragon], [White Tiger], [Vermilion Bird], and [Black Tortoise].
With the descent of the Four Gods, a massive barrier enveloped the entire group.
The Oni King's immense power struck the Four Divine Guardians' barrier with an ear-splitting roar that echoed through the heavens. Yet this time, even the strength of the Oni King of Strength could not shatter it.
"A barrier, is it?"
Staring at the grand shimmering construct before her, Hoshiguma Dōji's gaze remained imperious. She walked forward step by step, almost leisurely, toward the barrier where the exorcists stood. "To think you can withstand even twenty percent of this King's strength… what an amusing little toy."
Twenty percent.
That earth-shattering, terrain-warping power had only been twenty percent of her full might!
Even the most battle-hardened members of the subjugation force couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.
They all knew—the barrier wouldn't last long.
However, as members of Yasaka Shrine's elite subjugation force, they had long since prepared for this. To challenge Hoshiguma Dōji meant they already had a plan.
Her greatest threat lay in her overwhelming physical power. If that strength could be restricted, there might yet be a chance at victory.
And the best way to limit a strength-based opponent—was through absolute speed.
If they could restrain her movement, even briefly, it would allow the shrine maidens wielding the sacred mirrors to unleash their attacks with precision.
As this thought flashed through her mind, the shrine maiden Miyabi's spiritual power surged, forming a swirling gale of energy around her.
Behind her, the divine manifestation of the Sakura clan appeared once more. With a powerful step, she dashed straight toward the Oni King of Strength.
"So confident? She's charging in alone for close combat?" Ruri muttered curiously.
Satsuki replied calmly, "In a battle like this, where even the slightest misstep could mean death, numbers aren't an advantage. Miyabi's speed surpasses everyone else's. If others joined in, they'd only disrupt her rhythm."
"Then… can she actually stall that Oni King?" Ruri asked, tilting her head.
"That depends on how strong the Oni King truly is."
...
Outside the barrier, the Oni King of Strength gazed coldly at the shrine maiden who had become a blur of silver light as she charged forward.
"Not bad," she murmured lazily.
But then—Hoshiguma Dōji did something that stunned everyone present.
She stood still.
Without a hint of defense, she spread her arms wide, exposing her entire body to the incoming attack—her stance open, her tone taunting.
"Come then, shrine maiden."
—
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