Marisay-chan writing one once again! It's been quite a while. I'm ashamed that it took me this long to post a chapter…without further ado, let's get to the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, only the story ^.^
In Italics are thoughts
In Bold are flashbacks
In Bold and Italics are thoughts in a flashback
*In Italics within stars are telepathic thoughts between Rikun and Rikuo*
This is the sequel to 'Life As a Nurarihyon', do read that first!
Summary: Sequel to 'Life As A Nurarihyon'. After defeating the Shikoku yokais, life returns back to normal. Or will it be?
~Story starts~
Since the ancient times, people feared yokais. Killing and scaring humans were what they were known for.
Until...the arrival of one lone yokai. That same yokai created a group of yokais, which would be known as The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in the present, and led them as the Supreme Commander.
People named that yokai:
The master of demons, goblins and ghosts,
Nurarihyon.
The start of everything
A child rushed ahead, running about while laughing. A girl followed the child with a soft smile.
The child then ran up to the girl, smiling and tugging on her kimono. The girl indulged the child and carried the child up, patting the hair gently. The child then suddenly pointed to the flowers surrounding them, swatting the pollens released by the flowers happily while saying something.
The child did not notice the girl froze up. Not seeing the sudden appearance of an overly rusted and jagged sword in her hand.
The child only knew something was wrong when there were horrified shouts nearby and that they were suddenly thrown to the ground.
Confused and in pain, the child sniffed and sat up. Young innocent eyes were unable to comprehend the sight. Those wide eyes were only able to see the girl earlier standing in front with a sword that were stained with red paint, along with a body near her.
A slightly bigger figure rushed up towards the child, hugging the child tightly while shouting loudly.
The girl turned around.
The last thing the child could remember, were the warm and kind smile the girl gave as she reached a hand towards him and the one hugging him.
Everything went black.
The start of everything
~A few years later~
A mansion stood in its glory. A majestic gate entrance stood before said mansion, highlighting the ominous feel of the place.
"Where could they be-" A girl was stopped as a rope caught her ankle and hurled her upside down beside a tree. "Waaaaaaaaah!"
Her scream caught the attention of two people, who quickly rushed over.
"What's going on-Waaaah!" The two of them fell into a hole that came out of nowhere, causing their legs to tangle up. "Who did this?!"
Laughters dispelled the ominous feeling that surround the place.
"And what did we get?" A child with white-black hair poked his head over the hole, grinning childishly. "Ahhh. And we got a huge yokai, along with a weirdly-dressed one!"
Another child with dual brown hair poked his head over the hole as well, laughing heartily. "We got them, we got them!"
"Young Masters!" The two men inside the hole shouted, embarrassed at being caught in such a simple trap.
"But I was hoping to get Oyaji at least." The first child placed his hands on his hips. "Oh well, at least the trap is a success. Even if it only caught Aotabo and Kurotabo."
"Yuki-Onna too!" The second child grinned at the girl being hung upside down.
"Young Masters!" Yuki-Onna huffed in frustration, even more so when the second child had the guts to wave cheerily at her. "Let me down!"
"Get us out of here!" Aotabo and Kurotabo screamed, trying to stand up but unable to due to their legs being tangled up.
The children looked at each other, grinned and turned back towards them. Each of them pulled an eyelid down and stuck out their tongues before running away while laughing happily.
And that was how Nura Rikun, nine-years-old, and Nura Rikuo, eight-years-old, started their daily routine in the house.
The start of everything
~At a restaurant~
"Hahaha." An elderly man sat beside Rikun and Rikuo. "Playing pranks again, huh? As expected of my grandsons. Of course, the yokais back home are getting really lax as of late. This would serve as a good wake-up call for them."
Rikun ate his noodle with a big slurp before turning to the elderly next to him. "Hey, hey, Jiji. When are you going to hand it down to us?"
"Hm? Hand down?" The elderly, Nurarihyon, blinked at the question, holding his chin with his thumb and index finger.
"The emblem of being the Third Supreme Commander!" Rikuo piped in beside Rikun. "You said before that you would hand it down to us!"
"Hm," Nurarihyon grinned. "The two of you have the potential for sure. But of course, your father will be doing the decision. He's the one leading the clan now after all."
"Awww," The two children pouted.
"However," Nurarihyon ruffled up Rikun's hair, receiving an indignant cry. "The two of you do know that only one yokai could take the place, right?"
Rikun and Rikuo blinked and looked at each other. As one, they turned back to their grandfather, "Why?"
"Why?" Nurarihyon sweated a little, unsure how to answer in the way that they would understand. "Well, think of it as battle between power. If Rihan and I were battling to lead the clan, who do you think the clan would listen to?"
"Jiji."
"Jii-chan."
The two answered with no hesitation.
Nurarihyon laughed, "Your father would be upset to hear that the two of you have no faith in him."
"That's because Jii-chan is first, right?" Rikuo pointed a finger up. "First is first."
Rikun nodded. "Who wants to listen to Oyaji anyways?"
Nurarihyon laughed again, "That is that. And it is no surprise; I was the one who recruited them in the first place. But the power had to be handed down, one can't always be holding on to the power, it gets dull and there will always be yokais that are stronger out there. That's why your father is leading now as he had surpassed me. It makes things new and challenging too. Having two leader could cause disputes and cause the whole clan to fall apart."
The children mulled over the information.
Rikun frowned a little and looked at his grandfather, "Who will get the emblem of being the Third then?"
"That is up for your father to decide," Nurarihyon ruffled Rikun's hair again. "Only a strong yokai will get to lead the clan as the leader. Although, I will have to say that Rikun, has a greater chance of being chosen, since you have ¾ yokai blood in you while Rikuo only have ¼ of it."
Rikuo watched as Rikun fussed over his hair, scolding his grandfather for messing it up. He rubbed his chest, feeling a slight itch.
"Now, shall I show the two of you something I am capable of?"
The start of everything
"Stop bringing them to restaurants and leave without paying! I'm the one who has to apologize and explain to the shop owner! It's hard to explain how you disappeared without anyone noticing!" A man fumed, arms hidden within his sleeves.
"Where shall we go and eat next?" Nurarihyon cupped his chin, grinning at his grandsons.
"Are you ignoring me?!" Nura Rihan, son of Nurarihyon, pointed at his father in agitation.
"That was amazing!" Rikun praised. "Those people totally did not see us at all."
Rikuo nodded in agreement, "Jii-chan is amazing! We want to do that too!"
"Rikun, Rikuo," Rihan placed a hand on each of their shoulders heavily. "Please don't do any of those things, I beg of you."
"Why?"
"No way!"
An aura of defeated air appeared above Rihan as the children whined in protest.
"Did you have fun, Rikun-kun?" Nura Yamabuki stepped forward, arms surrounding her son, giving a pat on his head. Beside her, Nura Wakana did the same to the other child, stroking Rikuo's cheek.
"Un!" Rikun smiled. "Even if was only for a short while, being outside sure is fun!"
"I'm surprised you managed to bring him out," Rihan muttered to Nurarihyon. "What if someone saw him? They would recognize that he's a yokai for sure."
"Don't doubt my skills, you greenhorn," A cry escaped Rihan as Nurarihyon whacked his head. "They never noticed that there were three of us all along."
"That's why we chose Jiji instead of Oyaji." Rikun said, with Rikuo nodding beside him as they watched Nurarihyon berated Rihan. "I can't believe Oyaji would be the one to choose who would be the Third."
"Oh?" Rihan turned to him, hearing the comment. "Do you have what it takes to be the Third heir of the Nura clan, Rikun?"
"Of course!" Rikun pumped his fist. "I will definitely get stronger and bring you down, you stupid Oyaji!"
"I don't think so, you little brat," Rihan smirked and quickly shot towards his son, who was surprised by the sudden movement. The father quickly reached down and grabbed one of the ankles before Rikun could even react and held him upside down. "You can't even take one strike at me."
"Stupid Oyaji!" Rikun struggled, swinging from side to side from his position, his free leg kicking wildly in an attempt to free himself.
"A strong yokai would have freed themselves easily from this. Could you do it, Rikun?" Rihan smirked, shaking the ankle he was holding onto in a mocking way.
Something flashed in those crimson eyes.
Rihan blinked.
Suddenly, Rihan watched as Rikun moved swiftly, using his hands to hold onto his and positioned himself in a way that allowed him to aim his free leg towards Rihan's face. Reacting quickly, Rihan let go of Rikun to block the kick with his arms.
"One strike," Rikun boasted before propelling away from his father and landing on the floor with a dramatic flip.
Small yokais in the room roared upon seeing that, some of them praising Rikun for the amazing stunt.
"Ohh!" Nurarihyon was impressed.
"Oh my," Yamabuki smiled.
"Amazing!" Wakana clapped.
Rihan blinked at Rikun, who had his chest puffed out. "Heh. Not bad, not bad at all." He clapped his hands in approval.
"Of course," Rikun grinned proudly.
Within moments, all the small yokais in the room swamped over Rikun in congratulations.
Rikuo watched at the side. His small hand slowly clutched tightly at his mother's clothes.
"Hm?" Wakana looked down at her son. "What's wrong, Rikuo-kun?"
"..." Rikuo blinked, before looking up at his mother. "Rikun is amazing."
"He sure is," Wakana smiled. "He would definitely be a good leader to the clan."
Rikuo blinked again, looking back at his brother. He was smiling happily; pleased with the compliments he received from the yokais.
Once again, Rikuo tightened his grip on his mother's clothes. His chest felt really itchy.
The start of everything
"What's wrong, Rikuo? You got quiet all of a sudden," Rikun peered at him as they walked along the house yard.
Rikuo hummed, "If Rikun gets chosen to be the Third..." He tilted his head to one side in slight confusion. "What am I suppose to do next?"
"Ah? You have already given up?" Rikun quickly stepped forward to stand in front of his brother.
Rikuo made a soft sound, "Rikun...Rikun is older than me. And because I have to go to school, you spend more time with Jii-chan and Otou-san, and you learn more yokai things from them. Rikun is also very capable of fighting while I...I can't do that. Also, Rikun did have more yokai blood than me, so-"
"Who cares who had more yokai blood," Rikun tackled his brother. Both of them fell to the ground, with Rikuo squealing in surprise. Rikun then laid his head on Rikuo's chest. "And who cares about all those things! We will just do our best to get chosen. Even if I did get chosen," Rikun grinned. "I will just tell everyone that you will be leading them too. We will lead the clan as one!"
"But Jii-chan said only one of us could-"
"I don't care," Rikun cut in, getting up and hovering above his brother. "Rikuo and I will do everything together no matter what. Besides," He winked. "If I become the Third, the Nura clan will have no choice but to listen to me. And I say that Rikuo will lead the clan with me!"
The younger brother stared up at his brother and blinked. He then smiled brightly. "Un!"
Rikun cooed at the happy face of Rikuo's and proceeded to nuzzle against Rikuo, rubbing their cheeks together.
Some of the small yokais gathered around, curious at the laughter created by the two children.
The start of everything
~One day~
"Good morning, Young Master!" Every yokai crowded in front of Rikuo's room, greeting him enthusiastically.
"Aw, move away! I'm going to be late for school!" Rikuo pouted, navigating through the crowd and quickly rushing towards his mother to prepare for school.
At least, that was his plan.
"Rikun! Let go of my leg!"
"No! Stay and play with me, Rikuo!"
"I'm going to be late!"
"Then, I'm coming with you!" Rikun stood up, determined to follow his brother.
"You can't, Rikun-kun," Yamabuki appeared from nowhere and held the older brother away from the younger.
"Ah! No, Okaa-san!"
"Thank you, Yamabuki-Okaa-san! I will be going now!"
"Have a nice day," Yamabuki waved at him.
"Noooo! Rikuooo!"
~Just outside~
"I will be going!" Rikuo waved to his mother, along with the yokais seeing him off.
"He's getting bigger day after day," Yuki-Onna smiled as they waved to the fading boy.
"I'm still confused why Rikuo-sama have to go to a human school when he could have just stayed," Kurotabo placed a hand on his straw hat.
"Well, that's fine, isn't it," A neckless man appeared at the entrance gate. "It would be a good experience for him...and the other one too." They stood at the man entrance, hearing Rikun's loud protest at being separated from his brother.
"You say that now, Kubinashi," A beautiful lady by the name of Kejoro popped out behind him. "But you're just glad that those two won't be together to take your head again."
A vein popped on Kubinashi's head, remembering the incident.
"Me, me, Rikun, pass it to me!"
"Get ready! Catch!" Rikun threw something at Rikuo, who caught it with a cheer.
Aotabo happened to walk by and noticed the two children playing. "Young Masters? What are you playing?"
Rikun and Rikuo looked at each other and grinned at the big yokai. "Playing ball! Want to play, Aotabo?"
"Sure!" Aotabo lifted his sleeves, getting ready to play.
"Catch!" Rikuo tossed the ball towards Aotabo.
The yokai caught it with ease, but paused, as something was amiss. The ball felt…hairy. Slowly, Aotabo rolled the ball around, only to come face to face with Kubinashi.
"ARGGHHH!"
"Ahahaha," Kubinashi laughed for a bit. "At that moment, I almost..." A dark look crossed his face. "...Kill."
"Oi!"
"Kubinashi!"
The present yokais reprimanded him for being angry with the children, despite him having the right.
The start of everything
Rikuo pouted all the way as he rushed to the bus stop. He would have no need to rush if that brother of his did not stop him. He quickened his pace as he spotted a girl standing at the bus stop.
"Kana-chan!"
The girl looked up and spotted Rikuo running towards her just as a bus arrived. She smiled happily, before putting on a displeased look.
"You are almost late! The bus would have left without us! Luckily the bus just arrived."
"Sorry, sorry," Rikuo said sheepishly.
"Let's go," Both of them boarded the bus, which was already filled with people.
Just as he sat down, a couple of boys behind him snickered. "Here comes the yokai boy! Oi, Nura, what yokai would you be today?"
Rikuo narrowed his eyes, hands tightening.
Kana frowned at those boys before sitting beside Rikuo and started talking loudly to Rikuo, ignoring the laughs behind them.
The start of everything
The sound of a gun popping off urged the boys to start running. Rikuo raced ahead of all the other boys, leaving a huge gap between them.
"Time!" A teacher nearby pressed on the stopwatch as Rikuo passed him. "13 seconds. Very good, Nura. You are getting faster."
The other boys stopped behind Rikuo, panting.
"Nura again..." One of them said.
"Damn it!" Another boy stomped his foot in frustration. "You are always in the lead. Just what is different between you and I?"
"Of course there's a difference." Rikuo smiled proudly. "My grandfather and father is the Supreme Commander of the yokais after all."
"Supreme-" One of them said.
"-Commander?" Another boy blinked.
"...Again with the yokai thing," The boys looked at each other warily.
One of them looked at Rikuo, frowning slightly. "Hey, Nura. I think that you are a really good person...but maybe you should stop with the yokai nonsense."
Rikuo frowned. "What I am saying is true! I'm not lying!" He looked at them, noticing the looks of distrust given. "It's true..."
The boys looked at each other again, before one of them spoke up.
"...Come on, we are going to be late for the next lesson."
The brown-haired boy watched them walked away, his hand clutching tightly by his side.
Why won't they believe me?
The start of everything
"Rikuo-kun!" Kana waved at him.
"Hm? What is it, Kana-chan?" Rikuo was packing his bag, getting ready to go home.
"Come on, I think Kiyojuji-san is calling for every-What happen to your cheek?" Kana asked once she was near Rikuo, noticing a cut on Rikuo's right cheek.
Rikuo quickly placed a hand over his cut, "It's nothing."
Kana stared for a bit and an angry frown appear. "The boys are throwing rocks at you again because you are talking about yokais, right?" She fumed a little as Rikuo averted his eyes away from her. "Those rowdy boys!"
"It's fine, Kana-chan!" Rikuo quickly picked up his bag and pushed Kana towards the exit. "So, what is it that Kiyotsugu-kun wants?"
Kana pouted, deciding to let the issue go, "He called a meeting for the whole class. Something about giving common knowledge that everyone should know."
The start of everything
"And so!" Eight-year-old Kiyotsugu gestured to the board, where tons of statistics and graphs were shown. "It was then that Onmyoji were introduced and started exterminating yokais in order to protect the humans! And there was a huge battle between them more than a hundred years ago."
The meeting was all about yokais, letting the class know how fearsome they were and the history behind them.
"But the Onmyojis came out victorious and-"
"Wait."
Kana made a worried sound, knowing only one person would protest about all this.
The whole class turned around, seeing Rikuo standing up and looking at Kiyotsugu.
"It's wrong."
Kiyotsugu blinked. And he blinked again. A feeling rose within him, a feeling he does not like. So Kiyotsugu did something to ease that feeling.
"Wrong? Why is my research wrong, yokai boy?" He gave an impressive sneer for an eight-year-old.
Rikuo did not let the name stop him, "Yokais are not like what you said! They are good people! They won't do anything to hurt-"
"All right, all right," Kiyotsugu cut him off. "The same old stuff again. Let me tell you this, I did this research because of you."
Rikuo blinked, "Me?"
"All because you keep telling everyone about yokais and yokais," Kiyotsugu ran a hand through his hair. "And so, my research proved that," Kiyotsugu leveled a glare at him. "Yokais are evil!"
Rikuo did not understand why Kiyotsugu was trying to paint his friends in a bad light. "That's not right! They are good!"
"Enough already, Nura!" Eight-year-old Jiro stepped forward, angry that Rikuo was arguing with his best friend. "Yokais are evil, so stop with all your Supreme Commander things already."
"My grandpa really is the Supreme Commander of the yokais! He wouldn't lead them to hurt people!"
"Then your grandfather's a Nurarihyon, right?"
Everyone turned to Kiyotsugu, who was staring at the board.
Rikuo blinked and smiled, "That's right! Nurarihyon! You know about him?"
"Oh, I know about him," Kiyotsugu started erasing the board. "A yokai like an old man with a hideous head. He sneaks into other people houses, taking and eating their things. A very despicable yokai Nurarihyon is. Imagine if he took your food away, you would have nothing to eat," He gave a disgusted look.
The whole class looked revolted at the description as well.
Rikuo recalled how his grandpa took him and Rikun to a restaurant and sneaked away after eating the food. "But...that's not...there must be some kind of-"
"Enough, Nura!" Eight-year-old Saori glared at him. "That was really disgusting, don't say anything about yokais anymore!" Her best friend, Natsumi, was nodding along, glaring at him.
All the children in the class starting booing at him, some frowning at him while others glared at him.
"Go away, yokai!"
A small paper ball hit Rikuo, who gasped in shock.
"But anyways," Kiyotsugu said, gaining back the attention of the class. "Yokais have ceased to exist almost hundred of years ago. We have nothing to worry about."
He continued on, not caring that Rikuo was leaving the class with a despondent look.
That's what you get for saying I was wrong.
The start of everything
~That evening, Nura main house~
The house was buzzing with activity, yokais from all over the place were gathering at a specific room, and little yokais were seen preparing food and rushing the food to the room.
But it mattered little to young Rikun. He was more concerned about something else.
"What's wrong, Rikuo? Why are you so sad?" Rikun peered worriedly at his brother, kneeling beside him.
"It's...nothing. I was just thinking about something," Rikuo said, using a finger to play with a small white yokai, Sannokuchi, on his lap.
Rikun looked skeptical but did not pursue the matter, choosing to lean on Rikuo in an attempt to comfort. He also noticed the cut on his cheek, but with how sad Rikuo was, he dared not ask. At least, not yet.
"Young Masters? Are you both all right?" Kubinashi enquired, seeing the two children sitting at the hallway while everyone was so busy.
Rikun looked up at Kubinashi, not knowing what to say before looking back at his upset brother.
Kubinashi noticed the younger child was obviously upset about something. Thinking that something must have happened at that human school of his, the neckless yokai smiled gently. "Well, do cheer up. All the clan heads are here today for a Council Meeting after all."
"Council meeting?" Rikun questioned.
Kubinashi simply smiled, "Your grandfather and father are calling for the both of you," He walked away, helping with the preparation.
Rikun blinked and looked back at his brother, "Rikuo, are you really all right?"
"..." Rikuo looked at the yard, moving Sannokuchi off his lap. He smiled at Rikun.
"I'm fine, I'm just thinking too much."
"...If you say so. Let's go then. They are waiting for us."
The start of everything
The two children looked on in awe at the setting. They were sitting right in front of two rows of yokais, and the atmosphere was rather dense, giving the feel of how important this meeting was.
Rikuo looked at those yokais. All of them looked so powerful and cool. There was no way Kiyotsugu could be right about them.
Rihan, who was beside the boys, cleared his throat, bringing the attention to him. "Well, I will make this a rather short meeting."
Nurarihyon, seated at the other side of Rihan, snorted slightly.
Ignoring that, Rihan continued, "I think it's about time...that we decide the next successor of the Nura clan. The Third heir."
The yokais immediately started to mutter, each of them wondering who would be the Third heir of the Nura clan.
The two children also looked at their father, their hands automatically went to clasp each other's, feeling nervous.
"That's a good idea."
The children looked towards the voice.
A hooded yokai with razor-sharp teeth started laughing in an eerie way, smoke coming out of his mouth.
"Someone new would make all the difference, and we need a strong leader."
Rihan's amber eye looked at his direction. Nurarihyon also looked at his direction.
"After all, my clan is responsible for...guiding children to the depths."
More than two pair of eyes narrowed.
"W-What?" Rikuo muttered, thinking that he had heard wrongly. "Guiding children to the depths? Wait..."
Rikun noticed Rikuo had slackened his grip on his hand, "Rikuo?"
"Yes," Gagoze looked Rikuo. "Tons of them," He gave the eerie laugh again. "It's normal for yokais to do such things. If you want to be the Supreme Commander of the Nura clan, this sort of things should be easy."
Rikuo released his hold of Rikun's hand, feeling horrified.
Nurarihyon raised a hand to cup his chin. "You have been active, Gagoze."
Rikuo snapped his head to his grandfather, horrified that he agreed to such antics.
The room suddenly buzzed with words of how evil Gagoze was, praising his actions.
No. No. It can't be...Why are they praising him? It's bad! Why...
"Yokais are evil!"
Rikuo lowered his head.
"However, you are not fit for the job, Gagoze," Rihan said casually.
Gagoze jerked.
"I have decided," Rihan patted both of his son's head. "To let them take over."
"Two of them?!"
"Two leaders?!"
"Unheard of!"
"Of course," Rihan stopped the chattering. "I am aware that there should be only one leader. So until they are of age, Rikun and Rikuo will be the candidates of position for the Third heir."
Gagoze's claws trembled slightly.
"What's wrong, Gagoze? You looked pale," A yokai named Mokugyo asked.
"I-It's nothing."
"Rikun, Rikuo," Rihan stood in front of them, a hand of each of their shoulders. "As said, you will be the candidates for the Third heir."
No...
"Oyaji and I will teach you things you need to know on how to lead these yokais."
I...don't want...
"They will be yours to command in the future."
"NO!" Rikuo slapped off his father's hand.
The yokais gasped at the bold action.
"Rikuo?" Rikun looked at his brother, stunned.
"I don't want..." Rikuo stood up, looking at his father with tears in his eyes. "If I stay with them, I will only get hated even more at school! I am not like any of you!"
"Rikuo!" Rikun shouted, a hand rose in an attempt to stop his brother as he rushed out of the room. He glanced at his father, who nodded for him to go, and quickly rushed out to follow his brother.
"What a shame."
The leaders of the clan looked at Gagoze, who gave the eerie laugh again.
"It seems the younger Young Master still prefers to play with humans."
The start of everything
"Rikuo!" Small feet quickly padded across the hallway. "Rikuo, wait!"
Rikun grabbed a hold of Rikuo's red cloak, but was shocked when Rikuo swiped his hand away aggressively. Watery and angry brown eyes met with confused and hurt red eyes. The two of them stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at each other, trying to understand what was going on.
Rikuo broke first, tears flowing down his cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry...Rikun." He weakly reached for his brother's hand, caressing it in an attempt to apologize for his action. "I'm sorry..."
It hurt to see his brother in such distress. Rikun watched as Rikuo continued to mumble apologies, tears continued to flow down with no sign of stopping. Rikuo was clearly distraught by something, something that caused him to lash out.
And it tore at his heart to witness it.
"...What's wrong?" Rikun reached forward to hug his brother, feeling helpless. "What's wrong, Rikuo?"
Sobbing were the only answers he received.
It was at the moment Rikun knew, even though he was not aware of it at the time, as he hugged his brother tighter.
That something had changed.
The start of everything
~One day, after school~
Rikuo slowly walked out of his school, still feeling upset over the whole situation. He did not wish to have thoughts of his family being evil.
"It's the yokai boy."
Rikuo looked up, seeing Kiyotsugu and Jiro standing near the bus stop.
"We better hurry, otherwise he would bring his yokai friends with him!" Jiro mocked, pretending to look horrified.
Kiyotsugu looked at Rikuo, "Ah, that could be disastrous. Yokais are evil after all."
Rikuo bit his lip, feeling something boiling within him. He quickly stepped towards them and stood in front of Kiyotsugu. "You are wrong!"
The taller child narrowed his eyes.
"Oi, oi, get away from Kiyotsugu-kun, you yokai!" Jiro shouted.
"Yokais are good people! They have feelings too! They look different, but-"
An image of how Rikun hugged him when he was upset came to mind.
"But, they feel just like normal people too! That's why it's wrong!"
Teeth gritted against each other.
"Your research-"
Hands started rising up.
"-Is wrong!"
The moment he said that, Kiyotsugu shoved Rikuo away from him.
Rikuo gasped as he hit the ground, scraping his hands. Jiro stood at one side, looking shocked at what happened.
Panting lightly, Kiyotsugu clenched his hands and stood straight, "Yokais are evil."
Rikuo sat up, trying to defend his family again, "That's wron-"
"SHUT UP!" Kiyotsugu yelled. "My research is never wrong! I spend a lot of my time gathering all the information! Don't you dare say my research is wrong! If I say yokais are evil, then they are evil! Simple as that!" He glared at the child before him, something bubbling deep inside him, causing him to lash out. "My family is rich and powerful around here, I can easily bring you down! I can also make sure you would never be able to attend this school anymore! So stop talking like you know yokais or anything like that!"
Stunned and slightly fearful, Rikuo trembled and spoke up, "K-Kiyotsugu-kun-"
However, that was apparently the wrong thing to say.
"DON'T CALL ME LIKE WE ARE FRIENDS!" Kiyotsugu grabbed Rikuo's collar. "Only my friends are allowed to use my name."
He glared harshly into Rikuo's eyes.
"And I will never be friends with a yokai like you!" He shoved him back down and turned around, heading to the bus that was arriving. "Let's go, Jiro-kun."
"H-Huh? Ah, c-coming," Jiro rushed up to his best friend, all the while looking back at Rikuo, who did not moved an inch.
Rikuo then slowly got up. He patted his pants and winced when the dust stung his slightly wounded hands.
"Why are you not getting on the bus? If this one goes, you will have to wait very long for the next one."
Rikuo turned around and saw his childhood friend, "Kana-chan..."
The girl took one look at his hands and sighed. "Bullied again?"
"...It's nothing."
"Don't care about what other people say so much. All of us think differently, so you shouldn't mind what other people say so much."
"Kana-chan..." Rikuo smiled a little.
"But that aside, you should really stop saying about yokai things."
Slightly hurt, Rikuo frowned, "Why? You don't believe me too?"
"It's not about believing!" Kana shut her eyes tightly, remembering what Kiyotsugu said about yokais. "But, they are scary!"
Rikuo stared at her, "Scary...?"
"If they exist, I don't want to meet them! They are too scary!" She rushed off, quickly boarding the bus.
Rikuo stood at the school gate, watching the bus drove away without him inside.
"That was really disgusting, don't say anything about yokais anymore!"
Rikuo pressed a hand on his chest.
I...
"But, they are scary!"
He crouched down, gripping his chest tightly. The itchy feeling was back and was spreading to his throat.
I won't...
"And I will never be friends with a yokai like you!"
...Talk about yokais anymore.
The start of everything
"Everyone was worried about you," A small black bird carried Rikuo in the evening sky. "Second Supreme Commander even sent some of us to look for you when you did not arrived at the usual timing. Young Master Rikun was worried sick as well."
"...Sorry. Karasu Tengu."
The named yokai looked down at the child he was carrying. It was obvious that the child was deeply distressed by something. However, it was not his place to pry into such things. He gave a slight sigh and flew on ahead, knowing one specific yokai was probably tearing the place up in search of his brother.
~At Nura main house~
"Ah! Young Master!"
"Karasu Tengu found him!"
There was quite a fuss as Karasu Tengu gently landed them down on the yard.
"Rikuo! You are all right!" Rikun came speeding through and hugged his brother tight.
Rikuo blinked and looked at his brother, who seemed to be utterly glad. Softening his eyes, Rikuo hugged him back just as tight, not noticing Rikun bit his lip at the returned gesture.
"There you are."
Rihan came forward, placing a hand on Rikuo's head, "We were worried, Rikuo. Where were you? What happened?"
That question prompted Rikun to let his brother go, wanting to know the answer as well.
Rikuo opened his mouth.
"Yokais are evil!"
He faltered.
"Rikuo?"
Rikuo looked up, gazing into caring and concerned eyes of his father and brother.
His chest itched. The young boy could feel confusion erupting within him.
"Only a strong yokai will get to lead the clan as the leader. Although, I will have to say that Rikun, has a greater chance of being chosen, since you have ¾ yokai blood in you while Rikuo only have ¼ of it."
His family...did not need him.
"Go away, yokai!"
His...friends...did not want him.
"He would definitely be a good leader to the clan."
Which should he choose? His family?
"They are too scary!"
Or his...friends?
"Did something happen in that human school of yours, Rikuo?"
Rikuo looked at his brother. Rikun had a rather intense look, focusing on Rikuo. Rihan glanced between both of them, feeling the tensed atmosphere.
Rikuo continued looking his brother, who looked back. The times when they had fun, when they played pranks together, when Rikun hugged him, comforted him, rushed towards him like a movie playing through his mind.
"Rikuo and I will do everything together no matter what."
Rikun clenched his hand, not liking the prolonged silence, not liking the fact that his brother seemed so far even though he was just a foot away from him. He was about to say something again when something slowly grasped his hand. Looking down, he saw another hand in his. Following the hand, he was faced with a softly smiling Rikuo.
"Sorry for worrying you. But I'm fine," There was a sad look in those brown eyes that made Rikun wanting to know what exactly was going through his younger brother's mind.
"As long as you are all right, Rikuo," Rihan patted Rikuo's head again, not really liking how his sons were acting. But, sometimes it would be better for children to figure things out on their own. "All right, everyone, back to do your things."
The rest of the yokais bowed and slowly scattered. Not before Rikuo managed to hear what Yuki-Onna said just before she went into the house.
"But it's weird. The bus that Young Master was suppose to be on did not even arrive at the stop."
Eh?
His chest started itching again, this time in a rather painful way.
"Come on, let's go back to-Rikuo, what's wrong?" Rikun panicked when he saw his brother clutching his chest with a rather painful expression on his face.
"Rikuo?" Rihan quickly kneeled down beside him, glowing hands over Rikuo's trying to ease whatever was hurting his son.
The commotion caused some of the lingering yokais to quickly surround the three Nurarihyons, giving worried shouts.
"Rikuo, Rikuo! What's wrong?!" Rikun cupped his brother's cheeks.
"Burning...hurts!"
"Burning?! Where?!" Rikun felt his panic rising just as Rihan increased his healing powers.
Rikuo shut his eyes, feeling the burning feeling running through him.
"The bus that Young Master was suppose to be on did not even arrive at the stop."
Before he could stop himself, Rikuo found himself yelling out loud.
"My friends are in danger!"
Surprised, everyone paused, staring at the panting boy.
Rikuo tugged at his father's sleeve hurriedly, "Help them, Otou-san! Hurry!"
"Now, now, Rikuo," Rihan gently patted him again, "Where's this coming from? You must be feeling more stressed than I thought. Hurry in and get some rest."
"But-!"
"That's right, Young Master," Yuki-Onna looked at him worriedly, "Did you get injured somewhere?"
"No! My friends-!"
"Maybe school was tougher than usual?" Aotabo scratched his head, "What do they teach there anyways?"
"My friends are really in danger!"
When all he received were worried smiles, Rikuo became desperate.
Why won't they believe me?! It's just like at school!
He looked around, searching for someone who would believe him. Upon catching a pair of crimson eyes looking at him, Rikuo latched upon his brother, who had not said anything since Rikuo's outburst.
"Please!" Rikuo pleaded with all his might, desperation clawing at him.
Just once, just this once!
"Save my friends!"
Even if they hated him, Rikuo did not want anything to happen to them.
"I will do anything!" Rikuo shouted in a last desperate attempt to make them believe him.
Please believe me!
Kurotabo tried to usher him in the house, "Young Master, you should really be heading inside-"
"Anything?"
Everyone turned to look at Rikun, who stared straight into Rikuo's eyes.
"Wait a minute, Rikun-"
"Yes! Please!" Tears started filling Rikuo's eyes, hope rising within him at the fact that his brother believed him.
"All right then, I want you to promise me something."
"Anything!"
"I want you to," Rikun slowly raised a hand, placing it on Rikuo's left cheek. "Become my mate."
Eyes went wide at the declaration.
"W-Wait, wait-!"
"M-Mate?" Rikuo widened his eyes, paying their panicking father no mind at the background.
"Yes. I want you by my side," Flashes of Rikuo swiping his hands away when he was trying to comfort him came to mind, "Always and forever, never pushing me away no matter what." The hand slowly slid down to Rikuo's chin, and lifted his head up from there.
"Can you promise me that?" Rikun whispered, slowly lowering his head, closing the distance between them.
It was just nice that a full moon was above them, the light casting a slight shadow upon Rikun, giving Rikuo a good view of those glinting crimson eyes. Feeling a weird sort of heat on his cheeks, Rikuo nodded absentmindedly, feeling shy all of a sudden.
The smile that came only increased the feeling of shyness. Wanting to look away but unable to, Rikuo parted his lips in shock as Rikun suddenly came directly inches away from his face.
"It's a promise then."
Rikun sealed the promise with a chaste kiss, only a light press upon those parted lips, almost like a butterfly landing upon his lip.
But the aftereffect that came was anything but light.
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Rikuo shakily fell to the ground, hands touching his lips, as all yokais that witnessed the scene screamed.
"Well then," Rikun looked up at the moon, paying no mind to the reaction he caused. "Who shall be accompanying me on this night?"
"Wha-Are you seriously going to go out? You don't even know if his friends are really in danger?!" Rihan gaped at his elder son.
Crimson eyes glanced at him, "I believe Rikuo."
The younger brother felt his breath hitched at the confession.
"And exactly who will be accompanying yo-"
"You told us that we are candidates for the position of Third Heir, did you not?"
"I did, but-"
"Consider this a test then," Rikun stared at the remaining yokais, "I may be still young, but I am also a yokai, soon to be Third Heir! Whether you wish to follow me is up to you," With that, he turned and started to head out of the house.
"I will follow you, Young Master!" Yuki-Onna did not hesitate, quickly rushing towards Rikun.
"Me too!" Aotabo followed.
Slowly, one after another, they followed behind Rikun, not looking back once.
"I will save your friends, Rikuo," Rikun glanced back, still walking ahead.
Tears welling up his eyes, Rikuo sniffed and nodded tearfully, while Rihan was still stunned by the situation.
Smirking, Rikun disappeared into the night with the yokais following him with a blue haze.
"And there he goes." Rihan muttered, watching the direction Rikun had left. "Well, he will have to get used to leaving the house, I guess." He glanced down at his other son. "I'm surprised that you did not go with him, just what is-"
He paused.
Tears slowly ran down both cheeks.
"Rikuo...?" Rihan gently placed a hand on his son's head, worried and confused.
"Otou-san."
Rihan made a small hum.
"I..." Rikuo clenched his hands, trying to control his voice. The lump that suddenly formed in his throat made it hard to talk.
"I don't want...the emblem of the Third Heir anymore."
Golden eyes widened slightly.
"Rikun...Rikun should have it. I don't want it anymore." Rikuo looked at where his brother had left, remembering how all the yokais simply followed him without question. He clenched his teeth, trying to control his wavering voice. "I don't want it anymore."
Rihan slowly kneeled down and brought his son to a hug. He could have asked why, could have asked what happened, could have asked what was going on, could have asked for an explanation. But he did not, only bringing his son closer to him. After all, there was not much he could say.
Not with the broken expression Rikuo had.
"If that is what you want." He merely whispered.
The start of everything
~Somewhere~
"Not here?"
"Yes, it seems like the Young Master did not board the bus."
"Too bad," Gagoze hissed out. "I actually went through the trouble causing landslide on both entrances of the tunnel to trap the bus. It's an easy way to mask deaths after all. Wouldn't want the commanders to suspect anything. Well, it does not matter. We will get our fill feasting on these children."
"T-Those things are coming towards us!" Saori whispered in panic.
"What are they?!" Kana trembled.
"C-Could it be...yokais?!" Natsumi remembered some pictures Kiyotsugu had shown before about yokais.
"N-No way! Kiyotsugu-kun!" Jiro turned to his friend, only to find that he was knocked out. "W-What do we do?!"
Kana looked around frantically for help as the yokais continued to come closer. But it was of no use; for they are the only ones awake in the bus.
"Send them to the depths." Gagoze gave his eerie laugh.
The four of them screamed in terror as the rest of the yokais leap forward eagerly at the command.
Rocks blasting out at the side stopped them in their tracks. Everyone turned to where the blast occurred, watching as a group stepped forward slowly.
"Isn't my brother amazing?" A smirk appeared. "To be able to predict such things. Good job, Yuki-Onna. We found this place quite easily."
"Of course! I have been following the bus the first few times Young Master rode it. I am very familiar with the path it takes, the timing it reaches to each stop and the time in between as well."
"Sounds like a stalker." Rings on a staff clank against each other.
"It's for Young Master's safety!"
"Well, this is the only place where tons of humans are gathering outside. It would be easy to deduce that something is inside here." A floating head bobbed forward.
"And making a hole here is easy for me." An arm flexed upwards to show off the bicep.
"You..." Gagoze growled, eyes on the smallest figure among the group. "Why are you here?"
" 'Why?' " Rikun questioned. "I believe I should be the one asking you the question. Looking for someone?"
Gagoze gritted his teeth. "Kill him, kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
His clan members went forward, all aiming at Rikun but were all thwarted by the yokais that had followed Rikun. Seeing his clan members falling one by one, Gagoze dashed towards Rikun in a rage.
"I am the only one suitable to be the Third Heir! I will get rid of you and take my spot in the Nura clan! You and your brother will d-"
A sword to his face interrupted him.
"It was because of you."
Gagoze screamed and quickly jumped backwards, holding his injured face.
Rikun stood in front of him, twirling the sword in his hands. "He's going to give up the spot of Third Heir."
The yokais that followed Rikun looked on in surprise, wondering how Rikun came to such a conclusion.
"I won't forgive you," Rikun rushed towards Gagoze, sword poised threateningly above him. "For you are one of the reason why he did so!"
"Die, you Nurarihyons! I will be the master of all yokais!"
"Not possible."
Rikun slashed down, effectively cutting Gagoze in half, blood spurting everywhere before the body disappeared into ashes.
"I," Rikun stood straight, slowly sheathing his sword. "Will be the master of all yokais, as Third Heir. I will one day walk the streets, with my own-no," Rikun glanced back at the rest. "With our Night Parade. I swear upon my pride as a Nurarihyon. Remember this." He sheathed his sword with a sharp clink.
The four children, along with a groggily awoke Kiyotsugu, watched in awe as the rest of Gagoze's clan were exterminated.
"A-Amazing." Jiro breathed out
"Yokais...really exist." Kana said, covering her mouth.
"The explosion was somewhere he-Ah. There they are!" A man with a flashlight on his head was standing at the hole made by Aotabo. "Oi! Over here! Are you children all right?" The man rushed forward, gently picking them out of the bus through the broken windows.
"Y-Yes." Kana answered for all of them.
"Thank goodness. We thought we wouldn't make it in time. You were all trapped in here for quite a while." The man smiled and pushed them towards the paramedics rushing to the site. "Go on now, we will make sure to get you back to your parents soon." He then went off to help those still trapped in the bus.
"But still," The children heard one of the paramedics spoke up. "Why is there an explosion here?"
As one, the children looked around the place, only to find that the yokais that saved them were no longer around.
The start of everything
~Later, during a Council Meeting~
"Thank you for playing along, everyone." Rihan nodded towards the clan heads. "It sure was hard trying to get him out in the open."
"But, First Supreme Commander, Second Supreme Commander," Karasu Tengu tilted his head. "How did you know that Gagoze was responsible for the missing children happening lately?"
Nurarihyon snorted, "He's always been blood-thirsty and it was getting worse as time goes on. That's why we needed everyone to make him think that what he did was right, since we have no prove. And Rihan went over the top by announcing the decision for the Third Heir."
"Well, at least we finally caught the perpetrator." Mokugyo nodded in approval. "It was a good idea."
"..." Rihan lowered his head, remembering what had occurred with Rikuo. "Ah. It was a good idea."
Nurarihyon noticed the change in his son and glanced at him.
Rihan took no notice and merely took a sip of his cup.
"...At a price."
The start of everything
~Present~
"Third Heir, Young Master. May I have a moment of your time please?"
"Hm?" Rikun and Rikuo blinked at Karasu Tengu, who was gesturing them to the yard.
"Wear this, Third Heir, Young Master. Does everybody have one? All right, one, two and-!"
Together as one, all the yokais within the vicinity posed and donned on a blue cloak with the word 'Fear' on it, showing it off.
"What is this?!" Rikuo squeaked out, embarrassed at the display and the way all of them showed off the cloak.
Rikun was blinking, examining the cloak on his back with slight interest.
"Third Heir, Young Master. To my knowledge, you wished to create your own Night Parade, am I correct?" Karasu Tengu asked the two, to which they nodded in confirmation. "As you can see, lots of yokais, including some allied clans, stayed here a lot. This cloak here is to distinguish who here is under your command as your Night Parade is still quite new. Consider it a gift from us." He gestured towards Kejoro and Yuki-Onna, now known as Tsurara, the ones who helped made the cloak.
"It was supposed to be worn only for those who had exchanged Sakazuki with the both of you. But," Karasu Tengu glanced at the little yokais near them, admiring their own cloaks. "Things got a little out of hand."
"Well, its fine, isn't it?" Kubinashi smiled, wearing his own cloak proudly. "At least it showed a strong bond between us."
"Un!" Kurotabo and Aotabo wore theirs confidently.
"...It feels slightly embarrassing though." Rikuo sighed, but continued to wear the cloak. It was handmade after all.
"Hmm. Not bad at all." Rikun smirked. "I like it. Karasu Tengu, give me three more of this cloak."
"Hm? I'm sure I have given it to the ones who had exchanged Sakazuki with you?"
"They have not exchanged Sakazuki with us, but I want them to have it."
"Who are you giving it to, Rikun?"
"To- ah, nice timing. Gyuki-Jiji, come here for a second, would you?"
~Somewhere near a tree~
"Look at them being so cocky." Gozumaru sneered, leaning against a branch. "What idiots."
"It looks cool though," Mezumaru stared at the cloaks longingly.
"The Gyuki clan would never do something as embarrassing as this and-" Gozumaru paused as Gyuki slowly walked towards them. "Gyuki-sama...what are you holding?!"
Gyuki said nothing, his hands holding onto the cloaks Rikun had given him.
"Why are you looking at us while holding that?!"
The start of everything
~Night~
"A yokai at a warrior mansion?" Rikuo said, holding his phone, which was given by Kiyotsugu, close to his ear.
~With Kiyotsugu~
"That's right, Nura-kun!" Kiyotsugu smiled, beaming at the letter he held in his hand. "I will tell all of you more tomorrow. Be prepared for another yokai adventure!"
"Haha. Sure, Kiyojuji-san."
Kiyotsugu's smile faltered slightly.
"I will see you tomorrow then."
Knowing he was about to hang up, Kiyotsugu spoke without thinking, "Nura-kun!"
"Hm?"
"I..." Kiyotsugu opened his mouth, but end up closing them again. "...Will see you tomorrow!"
"...Sure, Kiyojuji-san. Good night."
Kiyotsugu listened to the dial tone after Rikuo had hung up, before flipping his phone shut and placing it on his desk. As he did so, he caught sight of the research papers he did when he was young.
It was titled, 'Why yokais are evil' at the top.
The boy stared at the papers, giving a rather uncharacteristic blank look.
"S-So," Eight-year-old Kiyotsugu fidgeted, very uncomfortable with the situation. "I guess what I want to say is, is that, um..."
An equally awkward Rikuo stood in front of him, unsure of what was going on.
Kiyotsugu clenched his hands and took a deep breath. He was the proud son of the Kiyojuji family! His father always taught him to own up to his mistakes no matter what.
But it was hard. He was not used to being wrong.
"Is that..." Kiyotsugu puffed out his cheeks, deciding to give up on being sorry. "Yokais are very real! Did you hear about the bus incident? And-"
He rambled on and on for some reason. Maybe it was due the awkwardness? Maybe it was because he did not want to apologize? Maybe it was because of the blank look Rikuo was giving?
But even as an eight-year-old, Kiyotsugu was a very bright child.
And he knew.
It was because-
He stopped talking when Rikuo laughed a little. Kiyotsugu smiled a little as well.
"You are being weird," Rikuo smiled. "Yokais don't exist."
The smile froze.
"We are going to be late for class. Let's go!" Rikuo hold on to his bag strap and walked on.
Kiyotsugu watched as Rikuo walked further away. As Rikuo turned back and called out to him, Kiyotsugu realized something very important at a young age.
Words...can be very evil as well.
"Come on, Kiyojuji-san!"
Kiyotsugu stood silently by his desk.
It was because...
He bowed his head, hands clenching hard by his side.
~With Rikuo~
"Hmm." Rikuo looked at his phone questionably.
"What's wrong?" Rikun asked as the both of them flew through the sky on Hebi Nyuro, a snake-like yokai.
"No. It's nothing." Rikuo kept the phone. "So...a yokai at a mansion?"
"Seems interesting." Rikun smirked, leaning his chin on his brother's shoulder. "Shall we see if they have what it takes to be part of our Night Parade?"
"Un!"
The start of everything
Since the ancient times, people feared yokais. Killing and scaring humans were what they were known for.
Until...the arrival of one lone yokai. That same yokai created a group of yokais, which would be known as The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in the present, and led them as the Supreme Commander.
And now, with a new generation, with a new Supreme Commander, and a newly formed Night Parade:
13-year-old Nura Rikun, Third Heir of the Nura clan, and 12-year-old Nura Rikuo, Young Master of the Nura clan,
Are ready to show world just what they are capable of.
~To Be Continued~
And so it all begins! Rikuo had a really hard time during his childhood *Cries* but it explains a lot about 'Life as a Nurarihyon' chapter 1 doesn't it?
Things to note(if you have not read the prequel):
Jiji - Gramps. Informal, almost rude, way of calling grandfather or old man
Jii-chan - Informal way of calling one's grandfather
Oyaji - Informal, almost rude, way of calling father
Okaa-san - Informal way of calling one's mother
Otou-san - Informal way of calling one's father
-chan - used between close friend, mainly on females.
-kun - used, to refer to males. It can also be used on females of junior states by a person of senior status.
-san - A title of respect between equals of all ages.
Yokai - A class of supernatural monster in Japanese folklore
Sakazuki - A ritual of exchanging sake cup to pledge loyalty.
Omake:
~While flying through the sky~
"…I heard of a human tradition. Something about being high and kissing?" A hand slowly wrapped itself around Rikuo's waist.
"Wha-Where did you even hear this kind of things?!" Rikuo quickly stopped the hand from going lower.
"Shall we try?"
"Stay-Stay away from me, stupid Rikun! We are in the middle of the sky!"
Hebi Nyuro could be seen sweatdropping as it struggled to maintain the two moving yokais on his back.
That's all folks, do review this chapter and tell me what you think! (Rikun was speaking about a ferris wheel if you do not know)