I was rooted to the spot for the second time.

Huh?

My shikigami? Yeah, that’s wrong, I don’t have any shikigami.

“Sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Did you guys get the wrong person? I just was looking for you because I was told to look for you-”

“There’s no mistake, Tsuchimikado-sama. The fact that Shinshonohara changed its appearance in accordance to your desire is proof enough that you are our rightful master.”

“No way that’s supposed to be true. I don’t have any shikigami.” I brushed it off. “Besides, aren’t you the shikigami of Abe no Seimei?”

“We are.”

“Then…? I’m obviously not him, right? I’m Tsuchimikado Ren.”

“...” None of them replied, but I could feel a tense air of hesitance around them.

“Tsuchimikado-sama… could it be that you do not know…?” One finally spoke up, the woman on the far left. She was in a yukata in a beautiful gradient of pink at the collar, darkening and deepening as it travelled down, and ended in a dark crimson at the bottom. Her hair was blood red, and was pinned up in an ornate design.

“Don't know what…?” I was getting more and more confused by the second. I’d come here presumably in search of answers and gaining help, but I was just getting more lost instead.

What the hell?

“Tsuchimikado-sama, are you aware of the fact that you have the largest spiritual energy reserves in the Tsuchimikado family?”

“Yeah, that I am.”

“Are you aware of the reason why?”

I shook my head mutely.

The woman sighed. “That’s because… you’re the reincarnation of Abe no Seimei, Tsuchimikado-sama. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“That’s a… nice joke…” I replied hesitantly.

She shook her head. “Only Tsuchimikados with the pure bloodline of Abe no Seimei are allowed to enter Shinshonohara. And only Abe no Seimei and his reincarnations are able to change it as they please.”

“Look, there must’ve been a misunderstanding. Sure, I’m a Tsuchimikado, but I just came to look for you guys because my father told me to, and I need your help to fight against my uncle. I can’t even use my spiritual energy.”

I could sense the disbelief emanating from the twelve shikigami in front of me though their faces were expressionless.

“This is a waste of time. If he says he isn’t Abe no Seimei-sama’s reincarnation, I don’t see why we shouldn’t believe him.” One man spat, clad in a brown kimono with a slate-grey shoulder pauldron. “I’m leaving.”

“Oi, Rikugo!” Another man snapped, grabbing the previous man’s wrist.

“Let me go.” Rikugo’s voice had turned soft, but held an immense rage. Enough that I could feel his tension even as I stood more than a dozen feet away. “I swore to Abe no Seimei-sama I would serve no master but him. His reincarnations don’t hold any of his memories, only his spiritual energy, and I see no reason why we should keep on doing this.”

“Then what?” A man in black armour interjected without turning. “You’re going to become a masterless shikigami? You’re going to defile yourself and the legacy of Abe no Seimei-sama?”

The man named Rikugo flinched, but regained his composure and tore his arm out of the other man’s grip, walking away. After a few steps, smoke wisped around him and shrouded him, leaving nothing where he had been after it cleared.

“Anybody else?” The black-clad man asked. “If you want to leave, now’s the time.”

Nobody moved.

The man bowed towards me. “I apologise for Rikugo’s transgressions.”

“It’s fine…” I replied. “It’s only natural, isn’t it?”

The eleven left made no move to reply, and I sighed audibly.

“Look. I still haven’t wrapped my head around how I’m supposedly the reincarnation of Abe no Seimei, but I get that you guys wouldn’t be acting this way for so long for just a prank, so… I’ll accept that you’re my shikigami. On one condition.”

“Condition?” Another woman asked, confused.

“Yeah. If you’re going to be my shikigami, then get rid of this master-servant type of interaction. It makes me uneasy.” I stepped forward and sat on the porch. “Just treat me like a normal guy… or like a friend if that makes things better.”

“Like a friend…” A man in a three-piece suit repeated.

“Yeah. Is something wrong with that?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Nothing at all, Ren.”

“Since you told us to treat you like a friend…” The same woman in the red kimono raised a hand. “You won’t mind me asking this, right?”

“Asking what?”

“Why can’t you use spiritual energy?”

My shoulders slumped in defeat. “I don’t know. It’s been like this since I was a kid.”

I noticed another one of the Heavenly Generals narrowing his eyes at me. “Ren-sama, do you mind if we take a look at you?”

I shook my head, then started walking towards them. “Go ahead.”

The man looked at another woman, and the two of them approached me, one in front, one behind.

What are they going to do?

The man placed his hands on my shoulders while the woman placed hers on my back, a weird tingling sensation crawling over my body.

The man’s fingers grew tense, and all of a sudden a blistering heat shot into my body from where his hands were.

My vision doubled and blurred with the pain, my fingers spasming. My breathing became jagged, my jaw unhinged, but I couldn’t make a sound, my body feeling as though it was being ripped apart from the inside.

The heat disappeared after a moment, and once the two released their hands, I crumpled to my knees, breathing heavily. My chin was wet with saliva, and my hands were shaking; apparently I’d lost control of my motor functions.

“I knew I noticed something wrong.” The man turned to me. “Ren-sama. You’ve been sealed by a shinigami.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around what he was saying.

First I find out I’m the reincarnation of Abe no Seimei, and that I have twelve of the most legendary shikigami, and now he’s telling me I can’t use spiritual energy because I’ve been sealed by a death god?

Crazy is an understatement for the last ten minutes.

I shook my head. If it’s a seal, it can be undone. I’ll be able to use spiritual energy.

“Can you guys undo the seal?”

The man rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not possible. Seals like this can only fully be undone by the one who cast it. The most we can do is remove certain restraints. Truthfully, I don’t know what you’ll be able to do after we try…”

“Will there be any side effects if you try and fail?” I asked.

He didn’t meet my eyes. “You could… die, Ren-sama.”

I didn’t hesitate. “That’s alright. When can we start?”

The man blinked at me. “You’re okay with that?”

I nodded. “I trust you. You aren’t all legendary shikigami for no reason, right?”

The man laughed, scratching his cheek. “You just… sounded a lot like Abe no Seimei-sama.”

I grinned. “I was just told I’m his reincarnation.”

He shrugged. “Fair enough. Come this way then, Ren-sama.”

I followed after him as he left the courtyard, the other ten shikigami a short distance behind.

As he slid a shoji screen open, the environment changed without a sound, and we were no longer within the Tsuchimikado shrine, but rather on a path made out of solid marble, offset on both sides by neatly trimmed grass.

The meadows smelt like sunshine and fresh soil, which was refreshing. I could almost forget the smell of blood and evil that had been so deeply ingrained in my senses from the past few days.

As we walked, a thin mist seemed to fall over us like a cool blanket, eventually thickening to the point where I could only see the back of the man in front of me.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see in a moment.” Was his reply, and I continued walking after him.

Soon, the path widened, and then split into two, arcing away from one another, seemingly forming a wide circle.

“Huh? Water?” I stood where the path split, looking down at my feet.

Within the circle formed by the path was a shallow pool of clear water, glistening brightly and invitingly despite the light being blocked by the mist around us.

“Ren-sama, welcome to the spring of the five point star.”

“Five-point star… the gobosei. Abe no Seimei’s crest.”

“Yep. Please go ahead and take a seat within the center of the pool.” The man gestured, then turned to the other shikigami. “Oi, somebody call Rikugo.”

“I’m right here.” The same man in the brown kimono appeared from the mist. “Let’s just get this over and done with.”

I made my way to the middle of the pool, the water barely reaching my ankles, then sat cross-legged. Huh? I’m… dry. The water isn’t touching me. I was sitting within the pool, but for some reason none of the water had soaked into my clothes.

By now, the twelve Heavenly Generals had fanned out along the circle, with an equal distance between one another, like the twelve points on a clock.

“Before we begin, can you reintroduce yourselves?” I smiled sheepishly. “I think it’s only proper to know who’s going to be helping me.”

The man who had guided me to the spring raised his hand. He was sitting directly in front of me, in the twelve o’clock position, and was in a suit, unbuttoned over a white shirt and dress pants. “Toda.”

On his left, at the one o’clock position, was the red-haired woman in the red and pink kimono. She bowed as she introduced herself. “I’m Suzaku.”

At the two o’clock position, a woman with long hair cascading loosely over her shoulders, a sharp cyan in colour. She was one of the women in modern clothes, with a navy blue bomber jacket over black trousers and a black skin-tight bodysuit. Despite her relaxed appearance and dressing style, her expression exuded regality and an aura of confidence. “I’m Seiryu.”

At the three o’clock position was a woman in a dress suit, black hair tied in a ponytail, and bangs covering one side of her face. “Kochin here.”

Four o’clock was another woman in a white and gold yukata, with short light blond hair. “Greetings, Ren-sama. I’m Tenko.”

The woman at five o’clock had a miko outfit on, although it looked less baggy and more fitting. “Tenku.”

At six o’clock was the last woman of the twelve Heavenly Generals, in a green and turquoise yukata. “I’m Taiko.”

At seven o’clock was Rikugo, the man in the brown kimono who had called me a waste of time.

Eight o’clock was a man in a three-piece suit, black hair neatly parted in the center. “I’m Kijin, Ren-sama.”

Nine o’clock was a massive man in a meiji-era priest outfit, with a jovial smile on his face. “I’m Daion.”

At ten o’clock was the man in black samurai armour. I noticed now that there was a yellow chain wrapped over his shoulder, and under his left arm. “I’m Genbu.”

At eleven o’clock was a man in a loose sleeveless white kimono, stark white hair swept backwards, yellow pupils, and a menacing grin etched on his face. His arms are huge. “Yo. I’m Byakko.”

I committed their names to memory as well as I could.

Bowing my head, I spoke again. “You already know this, but I’m Tsuchimikado Ren. I’ll be in your care from now on.”

Toda clapped his hands together. “Alright. Let’s get started, shall we?”