Shogun Haitaka's Palace

The chiming brought Yanagi to a sudden pause, his head slowly turning in the direction of the sound. Whatever it was, it tugged at every fiber of his mythical being. A soft snarl sounded with a deep breath as he exhaled.

The mutterings of the priest were screeching static on the Oni's ears, and rings piercing as a flute. He would rather have a sword stab through his brain than listen to that. Yanagi roared out in a cross of absolute fury and anguish, his massive hand reaching around to the ominous gourd at his hip. He lifted it with little effort and chunked it with intent after the humans now piled like a set of bowling pins.

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The sudden, hard chime of rings let out a stronger pulse of energy - acting to shove against the thrown gourd and send it toppling over itself, and landing with a deafening CRACK on the paved courtyard just short of the foremost samurai guarding the monk.

That very same chime ripped through Yanagi's ears once more, with a little more oomph, and he roared out again with both wide hands clapped over his ears. It wasn't about to bother with this troublesome priest, and turned it's attention directly behind him to effectively ignore the group. The bloodthirsty eyes laid on the sprawling palace, the lights on in many of the interior rooms - and his nose perked with each hard inhale as he picked up the scent of many more humans. He would find more food inside this pathetic structure.

The gourd rolled about a little on it's odd shape until it finally ceased, revealing a very large and winding crack across the surface. It was a miracle that not a single chip had fallen out of place from the number of lines webbing over the gourd. However a malicious, palpable energy was very slowly seeping out from the widest of the breaks and billowing to the ground like smoke. One, no, two figures came to view, creatures akin to monkeys with short horns atop their heads and furry appendages colored after Yanagi - faces hidden behind prayer slips marked with scribbles of ink. At the waist of each was a crude bamboo flute, stained in possibly aged blood.

They shrieked like baboons, and were quick to... attack each other? One found his flute and yanked it up swiftly, only to bring it down promptly upon the head of the other and knock him silly before attempting to rush past the samurai and down the stairs and flee out into the heart of the rich quarter.

Indeed, the imp flopped pitifully on the pavement as he crashed into the unforeseen wall with only the faintest twitch of his limbs. It seemed he faired no better than his comrade he had bashed, who was stumbling around as if in a drunken stupor. The flute was taken and tucked up beneath the paper mask to a presumed set of lips, and a few terrible notes whistled out - noise, at best, rather than anything of a song.

Yanagi stomped forward with all intent to tear into the building in search of human meat, ceasing just before the edge of the barrier and bringing the ethereal red energies into view as it had for the first imp. His chest heaved a deep breath in aggravation before he slowly turned and looked across the courtyard at the new tiny human to intervene. Glowing eyes narrowed on Seimei - he knew that he was responsible for this spirit cage. He sneered, baring his gruesome teeth and snarling viciously in an intimidating display.

Yanagi snarled again in utter rage and clear defiance, a sound that was a clear indicator of "I shall not obey you!" The eyes said just as much. They turned to settle on the gourd, cracked and somehow unbroken. Only two of the devious imps within had managed to slip out. Without a care the Oni stomped over towards the container, crushing the delirious imp underfoot and making it vanish in a cloud of wispy smoke, and sought to smash it under his own fist this time - if the gourd was within the barrier. He could not tell at the moment, but it was the only thing he could do before drawing a weapon to test the strength of this pathetic human's magic.

As the monk's chant sounded undoubtedly having some sort of affect on the demon Abe no Seimei raised his fan as if signaling soldiers. "Very well." The barrier became visible to the naked eye and a massive chain covered in thorns sprung forth from each of the five walls. They assaulting the demon wrapping it in an embrace that left the thorns dig deep into its flesh. Unlike the samurai's blade the beasts flesh would be sundered by the magic.

The imp would fail to be anything of a nuisance. The walls had the power to detain the creature's better and then some.

Abe no Seimei did not give the creature a chance to escape. He tossed in a clay doll. A scarlet string was attached to it. It flew through the barrier the hung in the air before the Yanagi. Abe no Seimei said one word, simple a pure in its intent, "Seal!" The steam coming off the Yanagi would be drawn into the figure, its draw only becoming stronger as time went on.

As the demon as sealed the scarlet coil wound itself around the figure.

The imp... An easy oni to banish. The gourd however... As long as the monk maintained his chants it shouldn't be a problem. He waited for the oni to finally be banished before reacting to the imp. The leftover energy was quickly compressed, drawing the imp towards the gourd and keeping them contained in their own tiny barrier.

He threw another stone piece into the barrier.

The crimson string wrapped around it as it absorbed the gourd and the imp at the same time. With the seal completed the figure plonked harmlessly to the ground. The one who held the Yanagi was still floating in the air. A simple and noticeable difference between the power levels of the monsters held within.

Abe no Seimei approached the sealed Yanagi and extended his hand. The artifact floated to the open palm. He stepped forward to the sealed imps and picked it up as well. He placed them both into his robes. Cast a glance at the Monk who had now stopped chanting. He gave a simple bow to him and the samurai then made his way out of the courtyard the same way he entered.