Gintama is owned by the one and only Hideaki Sorachi-sensei, and Nurarihyon no Mago by Hiroshi Shibashii-sensei
Chapter IV: A Performance
"Ano sa..."
"Nani?" The woman kept her smile.
"If you keep on acting like "It will definitely match the music of your soul" with a smile like...", the girl displayed a seductive smile, letting her eyes flutter.
"People would definitely recognize you're not a human."
"That's definitely not a demon, that's just some lovesick sixteen-year old.", the woman commented on her companion's parody.
"Nan' da to?!" , exclaimed the girl. "I know you're that attractive, and you're the only daughter of the third Lord of Pandemonium, Nura Rikuo, but still, can you please tell me—
"Tell you what?"
"Why and how the hell did you chose Takatsu as your human name?!"
"One good question. One good answer."
The girl's face was dead serious, waiting for her mistress' serious answer.
"Shiranai."
"REIYA-SAMA!"
"Enough of your worries. Exactly why I chose Takatsu is because it's the least likely name for a demon, don't you think?"
"Maa, tashika ni. It sounds like a joke."
"Hora, now you can see its brilliance." Reya chuckled as she tossed the huge boxes with ease and set them aside the counter. "And could we not talk about these matters here?"
"H-Hai. Sou da ne." The girl said with an air of resign. "But…indeed…for the Nenekimaru to be stolen…"
"Miru-chan…mou ii. For now, we are two salesladies at the expense of serving our customers. Ah—kitta." Reiya smiled. "Another customer is coming."
True enough, the chime resounded its familiar tinkling sound, alerting the two back to their positions.
"Irasshaimasen!", the two greeted at the same time.
The man only nodded. He was a middle-aged man, and he looked like he just came from a night-shift office. His eyes kept on lingering over the stacks of boxes piled on the left side of the shelves of snacks.
"Ano…what are you looking for Danna?", said Miru, smiling pleasantly as she got out of the counter.
"You have medicine here?"
"Eh.", Miru nodded. "Medicine for what, Danna?"
"Headache."
"Any particular brand?"
"Just the generic will do."
"How many tablets?"
"Futatsu."
"Understood." Miru then disappeared behind the third shelf. In less than ten seconds, she was already holding the two tablets. She then handed the items to Reiya, who ran them over the laser. With a satisfying beep sound, the price appeared on the computer screen.
"Twenty yen.", said Reya with a smile and her cheerful voice.
"Ah." The man delved his left hand inside her pockets. He then pulled out two bills.
The man placed the two bills over the counter.
Reiya smiled.
"That's a nice way of paying us, ojiisan."
The man looked blankly at Reiya.
The next thing that happened was the sound of crashing shelves. Miru gasped.
The man was thrown backwards with such a force the wall where his body collided cracked.
As if in a slow motion, the two pieces of bill floated in mid-air.
Kiero. Kusou kami.
Reiya slashed the two pieces of paper.
A powerful wind gushed and revolved around the objects.
The two pieces of paper aflamed, and earsplitting screams shrieked as the flames licked the objects ferociously. Mirages of demons being tormented flashed before Reiya and Miru.
They were not bills after all.
"Hell for the Demons." Reiya calmly picked up the ashes. She then gently gave it a soft blow, making the ashes vanish. "A seal which entraps the souls of demons who hold grudge against the target. These souls of hatred then become the power of these seals, making them more deadly than ordinary seals. To put it more precisely, it is the seal of hatred-Nikushimi no Shiru-since even the one who casts such seal carries an extreme hatred for the target. Na, Mr. Customer?"
Miru stayed frozen on her spot, still in shock. "Massaka-"
The man fell into fits of laughter.
"Sasu ga Hime no Nurarihyon! As expected of the Mistress of the Nura Clan..." The man wiped out the blood gushing from his face. As he stood, bits of rocks eventually fell from the wall. "Ah, poor store, I wonder what your manager will say to this."
"Daijoubu. The manager's a demon too."
"Reiya-sama!". Miru could not believe that her mistress just gave the identity of their manager that easy.
"I could not care less for a damn crack on the wall.", Reiya said. "And-"
The man just had the time to use another seal, for Reiya's katana had just made a swift wave towards his stomach. Reiya welcomed the force emitted by the seal, a strong force of wind unleashing against her. The next moment, the seal was already torn into pieces.
"Inazuma!"
A huge golden fox then came out of another seal. the fox gave out a wild cry, then bared its fangs befire Reiya, who fixed her eyes at the familiar, lightning currents surrounding the creature.
"Korosu!"
"Sasenai!"
A huge spider web suddenly entangled itself around the fox, thus making it struggle wildly to be freed from the trap.
Miru grinned, her eyes turning all-black, like black gemstones. Like the cold eyes of a spider. With a glint of triumph in her eyes.
"Let's see if you can take this. BARAGAKI NO KUMO!"
The fox growled as the threads began to grow thorns, piercing their way through the fox's flesh. The growl grew louder and louder.
"SHINNNNNEEEEEEEEEE!"
With a finishing blow, the longest thread of web morphed itself into a sword, and pierced right through the center of the largest marking at the center of the fox's forehead. The fox let out a humongous current of electricity, reaching Miru. Miru shrieked in pain.
"Miru!"
"And where are you going?!"
Reya looked back, and at her sight was a myriad of seals. And they were all Seals of Hatred.
"Begone."
A red light interconnected the myriad of seals, forming a net of barrier around her.
"Zannen da na, Nura Reiya. Your family will never be able to claim the demon sword, Nenekimaru. The original plan was to kill your father first, but it looks like the daughter will proceed first!"
The interconnection stopped. The seals glowed.
"Behold, the hatred of a hundred demons."
Miru screamed. "REIYA-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Like a moon that gently disappears behind the clouds...
"W-What is happening..." The man froze. Darkness was spreading throughout the room like fumes.
Silently, silently watching from its throne...
The man turned around. His vision had gone black. And so was his sense of hearing.
Suffering, misery, pain....
The cold voice resounded through his body. It was the only sound he could hear.
They dance infront of her...
The man shrieked in pain. He watched his arms bleed as dozens of wounds sliced their way out of his skin.
Wildly, wildly, they swirl beneath her...
The man fell on his knees. That was when he felt the cold sensation of a blade behind his neck.
And yet she never falters...
The man heard the sound of the katana being raised, ready to strike.
Silent, silent, silent...
He could not move.
Behold the beautiful moon...
And out of the floor, he saw a pair of demon eyes, gleaming like a blood-tainted moon.
The queen of the night...
And then a smile greeted his eyes, widened with fear.
The torch of a night parade of demons...
Reiya's face came close to the man's own and whispered.
"Thank you for dropping by this store. But you shall never be able to come again."
The last sound was that of a tormented man's scream.
***
"That was an interesting music."
"The music of fear."
The man turned up the volume of his headphones.
"Ah, this headphone's indeed great."
He then clapped his hands.
"It has been an interesting concert."
The man left.
Reiya smiled.
"Ah...and so it seems I was able to provide some entertainment after all.
Miru carried the unconscious man, whose eyes remained open in shock. "This is too gross, I'm a demon and yet I got goosebumps. Your osore is indeed the worst!"
Reiya laughed. "Tsuki no Sakkaku. Illusion of the Moon. I am very glad that it came out well. Or would you have preferred me doing Matou with you?"
"No thanks. You did it with Kejoro and she was not able to move for a week."
The Mistress of the Hundred Parade of Demons only replied with a smile. Her eyes then followed the trail of the blue-green mad who had just left.