Kagome

Kagome (かごめ, Kagome) is a curse used by shinki to entrap and weaken a target. Under certain circumstances, it can be used as an interrogation technique.

Casting Sequence
Only children, who do not know the difference between good and evil, are able to use this curse. To do so, they must join hands and form a circle around the target, all while repeatedly singing the incantation. This weakens all shinki trapped within the circle, preventing them from using borderlines and possibly other shinki-specific abilities.

This curse's incantation is a well-known children's game/song, Kagome, Kagome. "かごめかごめ / ののは / いついつやる / けのに / とがった / ろのだあれ？ (Original Japanese text)" "Kagome kagome / Kago no naka no tori ha / Itsu itsu deyaru / Yoake no ban ni / Tsuru to kame ga subetta /  Ushiro no shoumen daare? (Romaji transliteration)" "Kagome, Kagome / There is a bird inside the cage / When, oh when will it come out? / In the light of dawn / The crane and turtle slide along / Who is that standing behind you? (Official English translation)"

According to High Sentinel Oushi, Kagome is not as cruel as a prison. Although the exact difference is left unclear, this may refer to the fact that Kagome entails an escape condition. As with the real-life children's game, those entrapped in the circle are referred to as the oni (demon). In order to escape, the last remaining oni must say the name of the child who is standing directly behind them. The only other way for the captives to escape would be for the children to stop chanting the incantation, thus dispelling the effects of the curse.

Usages
Oushi has children-aged shinki utilize Kagome in order to investigate Ebisu, who at the time they believed to be the Crafter. Specifically, it is implemented to quell and threaten Ebisu's shinki to give up information about his and Iwami's whereabouts. The children enclose Ebisu's strays (excluding Takami) and masked ayakashi inside the circle, leaving the strays weakened and unable to effectively protect themselves with borderlines. Since the escape condition seems to require that only one oni be left in the circle, Oushi intends to have them be killed off by the phantoms should Takami not give up information about Ebisu. Realizing this, Takami likens the Kagome game to a death match. Oushi further pressures Takami to give up information by reminding them that a shinki's death causes intense pain for their god, pain like that of losing one's child. Off screen, Takami eventually confesses that Ebisu is in the Underworld and the Kagome game is ended, thus temporarily saving the lives of the remaining Mi-clan strays.

Adaptation Notes

 * The Kagome game is omitted in the anime. Instead, the story skips to Oushi delivering the news about Ebisu's punishment to the other Seven Gods of Fortune. Heaven's Punishers are shown confronting three of Ebisu's shinki, who are stood with their hands raised in surrender; Takami is also shown being held by two of Heaven's Punishers before having his sleeve pushed up, revealing that he is a stray. Oushi informs them that Ebisu's shinki confessed everything under interrogation, but makes no mention of Kagome.