Pray
If you see a spirit with an axe, you better pray for your life. Spirits only hold axes if they're thinking about murder, so pray as hard as you can to try and get it to spare you.
Imagine trying to pray as hard as you can as a spirit with an axe closes in on you. Can you hold your prayer concentration long enough?
き
いの
None
You pray and pray and pray and nothing happens. You stop praying and dare to open your eyes. There is a key (き) in front of you. Grab the key and hold it before you and pray for the spirit to take it. Moments later, both the key and the spirit are gone.
I guess the key was prayer all along. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)