Theory/Analysis time (123 spoilers)
As stated previously, i will refer to ueda with they/them pronouns.
Also, take all of this with a grain of salt, I'm no expert in any of this
I want to look at this specific page:
First off: Ueada is literally in a cage, covered with talismans,
They're also being tied down by those giant ropes, with one even being around their neck.
Note that they have talismans on their body as well, with the most prominent one being on their forehead, which usually undead beings in anime have.
In addition to all of this, the ground in front of them is also covered in broken swords.
I might be wrong about the next one, but it seems like either Ueda has their arms bound behind their back, or they have no arms. Irl Ueada Akinari had malformed fingers after getting infected with small pox as a child, this could be a reference.
What might also just be a reference is the prominent scar across their left eye. The actual Ueda Akinari lost his eyesight at one point but regained it in their left eye later.
Anyway, theory time.
Ueda themself states that Atsushi is the first person to visit them in a while. It seems like people did, in fact, visit them, as they likely didn't tie themself up, nor placed all those talismans around.
People probably managed to get into the sword before similiar to how Atsushi did, and either tried to fight/kill them, hence the broken swords on the ground, or seal them with the ropes and the talismans.
Evidently, we can't be sure if this worked or not, given that we don't know whether they attempted to restrain Ueda or Gozen.
My theory is that the Ueda we see is no longer alive or not quite alive. They're trapped inside the sword, which they seem to have some part of creating in (not sure about that one tbh, although they say they do). It also seems like they might be the core of Amenogozen, which was mentioned by Dazai previously.
Either way, they, as the core, aren't being protected by the ropes and talismans around them, they're being restrained. Maybe to stop the divine being, or maybe to stop it from doing something.
What if Ueada Akinari, aka the core of Amenogozen, being restrained is the reason the divine being listening to Fyodor/whoever holds/held the sword?
(Yes, it seems likely that Atsushi has to kill Ueada Akinari, but let's be honest, this is Asagiri. We'll be thrown a curve ball no matter what.)
