chapter 5

A/N: Updates from here on will be a bit slower/later cuz of work (cuz i'm home-based, I work from home) but I WILL STILL UPDATE even if it's a bit late like maybe pass a week or so. And stay safe y'all, keep the social distancing going and take care of your health. COVID-19 may not be as deadly as SARS but it's still a pandemic for a reason. Oh and after this chapter we will be entering 'The Gyuuki Arc' ;)


"Really? " Rikuo said as she looks at her brother.

"I was the one who was exhausted, yet you're the one who caught fever?" Rikuo said smirking as she changes the wet towel on her brother's forehead. "Talk about irony" Rikuo said then she laughs quietly as Rikun grumbles in annoyance.

"How is he?" Rihan said as he entered the room. "Well, so far so good. His temperature went down but just a bit,38,9°C but he MUST rest and not be a blockhead and try to escape bedrest." Rikuo said as she squeezes her brother's hand who winces in pain, just to make sure her brother gets her point loud and clear.

"He tried to escape?" Rihan said, his tone playful as he smirks at his son. "Yes, quite a few times actually." Rikuo replied.

"Yeah this dingass tried to be a tough guy, being all 'Zen is a weak yokai so i'll protect you'. Hah! protect me? My ass! You can't even take care of yourself!" Zen, who sat beside Rikuo and Kejoro said as a vein popped on his forehead.

"Okay i get it, can we stop with the dissing now?" Rikun said, extremely annoyed by how his body betrayed him by getting a fever. Kejoro then stepped in, trying to cool the situation down.

"Zen-sama, Rikuo-sama, Second Heir, Rikun-sama needs his rest i think it's probably best if he sleeps now. " Kejoro said.

"This blockhead? Sleep? 3 seconds later you'll be seeing him on the halls looking like some ghost—" "Okay that's enough Zen-san, come on, let's go out now, you too dad and stop giggling its unbecoming of you. "

Rihan then snorts as he stands up, holding his stomach in pain because he had enjoyed himself too much looking at his children's quarrel with the addition of Zen.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just so hilarious looking at Rikun being scolded by Rikuo, ahh i wish i could've record that. " Rihan said as he stood up properly.

"Well then Rikun, Rikuo, Second heir, i'll excuse myself. Oh and Second heir, meeting is at 4 o'clock. " Zen said as he walks away from the three of them along with Kejoro, exiting the room as Rihan nodded at Zen's reminder.

Rikuo then glances at the clock hanging on the wall.

3:15PM

"Dad we still got time to spare, mind helping me in the kitchen? I'm making porridge for him. " "Ohh~ you sure are smitten with your brother, Rikuo. "

"We're siblings, what's wrong with that? " Rikuo asked as she is genuinely confused as to why her father kept teasing her about them being siblings. Does he want them to be a couple in a romantic relationship or something? She honestly don't know.

Rihan grinned again as he walks towards the door.

"Okay, you have the ingredients ready?" "I think so, well then Rikun, i'll be back later, and you better sleep while i'm making the porridge. "

"Oyaji,don't be putting anything weird in that porridge you hear me?!" Rikun shouted from his futon.

"Show me some respect would ya? I'm your dad!" Rihan said while pouting.

"Come on now" Rikuo said as she grabs Rihan's arm and dragging him along with her to the kitchen.

The wooden doors then slides closed as Rikun sighs in his futon.

'Seriously, that old man..
' he murmurs as he closes his eyes, slowly drifting away.


(about half an hour later)

"Rikun, i'm coming in." Rikun opens his eyes,his sister comes in with a tray with a bowl of porridge and a glass of water.
She sits down beside Rikun's futon as she puts the tray right beside her.

"Did you just woke up? Sorry if you're still sleepy but you need to eat, otherwise you won't be able to heal properly."

Rikun wonders what did he ever do to deserve such a caring older sister. Rikun then tries to sit on the futon with Rikuo's help, after getting on a sitting position, she hands him the bowl of porridge into her brother's arms.

"Try finishing at least half of this bowl and drink some water, can't have you dehydrated then you can go back to sleep, or do you want to change your clothes after you eat? I can bring you a pair of new clothing if you want to."

"..I want to change my clothes, this one is covered in sweat."

"Okay, i'll be right back." Just after Rikuo left to get her brother new clothing Rikun began to eat the porridge.

If he's being honest, he doesn't have any appetite but since his sister (and dad, though he won't say this out loud) had made it for him, he tries his best to swallow the porridge.

Without noticing, he's already eating half of the porridge in the bowl, when he realized this, his sister enters the room again, in her hands a pair of new pair of clothes. She looks at the bowl in his brother's hands, and smiles proudly.

"You can stop eating it if you feel like you can't digest it anymore."
Rikun, who dozed off while eating, looked at the bowl and realizing it, he put it down and drinks the water.

"Here you go, you can change on your own right? If you need anything i will be in my room okay, i need to wash these off first. I gotta go, i have quite a few home works waiting for me." Rikuo said as she stands up and took the bowl, glass and the tray with her and sliding the doors closed.

After about 15 minutes, he changes his clothes then he stood up slowly and he walks towards his sister's bedroom, albeit a bit wobbly.

"Sis? I'm coming in."

His sister who is laying down on her futon with her books open and a pen on her right hand stares at him.

"What are you doing out of your bed? You need to rest you know! Wait here." Rikuo then hurriedly steps out of her bedroom, Rikun on the other hand, sits on her futon, waiting for his sibling to return. Rikuo came back,holding a thermometer and a wool jacket in her hands.

"Here, wear these and open your mouth." He obeyed his sister's words as the thermometer enters his mouth, staying still in there for a few second before his sister took it out.

"37,9°C... Well at least its gone down a bit, half an hour ago when i took your temperature its was 38,9°...in order to be fully healed your body needs to reach 36,1°C. Seriously, don't scare me like this you idiot."

Rikun feels albeit a bit guilty for making his sister worry when she tries her best to take care of him. But the thing is, he can't sleep, he didn't know why.

"I can't sleep..." "I don't mind sleeping with you but in order to do that, i'll need to bring your futon over here cuz i don't want to get sick." "...okay." A few seconds later, his futon is there, right beside his sister's. He almost immediately lay down on it, while still wearing the jacket.

"Now go to sleep, i know it's still three fifty five but your body needs rest, and as for me, i need to finish these. " Rikun nodded slowly, as his eyelids closed itself. Rikuo smiled at her brother as she watch him fall asleep.

"Honestly, what will you do without me.. "


4:00PM

Silence and tension filled the room as various head of clans gaze at both commanders of the Nura clan.

"Kyuuso wanted the third to 'send out a decree', there's no reason for those clan which has already been expelled to say that, most likely Kyuuso was working from somebody else's orders.."

" So even though Rikun defeated him, there will always be those who won't just say "good" to that.." Nurarihyon said, face grouchy.

"There are those amongst us too.." Rihan said as he glances at Hitotsume.

"That should come as no surprise. No matter how many times he defeats the enemy, as long as he doesn't take the responsibility to become the third heir and take it seriously those people will always complain.."

"Oi Daruma, whose side are you on?" Nurarihyon said, his voice laced with annoyance.

"I'm saying this for the sake of the clan!" Daruma responded while Rihan just clicks his tongue in annoyance.

"Right now there are guys like Kyuuso running wild in the main house territory! We have to sort out the clan right away!" "Why you!"

Rihan sighs "It's not so peaceful around here.."

"Well, with this many problems, he won't take the position as the third heir anytime soon.. " some of the clan head whispers to each other. Zen who heard this only rolled his eyes.

"What do you think, Gyuuki?" Nurarihyon asked as he looked at Gyuuki.

"...the one who killed Gagoze, who tried to cause an uprising, who killed Hebitayuu and the one who annihilated Kyuuso is none other than the third heir.." All the clan heads turned their gaze towards Gyuuki.

"..There's no doubt about his ability.." Gyuuki said, finishing his sentences while Nurarihyon only hummed.

"...but still remains the fact that he has not yet shown interest in taking up the third heir position seriously ,and if this continues, the complaints will only increase.." Gyuuki continues.

"Sounds like you're not satisfied with the third heir." Hitotsume said while smirking.

"..no,I'm still in the process of examining the situation, let's take our time, thinking about this." Gyuuki finishes as he lowers his head.

"That again.." "Gyuuki you're smart but you think so long and hard about things that you take forever to make a decision!"

'Look at him, trying to be a goody two shoes.' Hitotsume and some other head clan mused as they glared at Gyuuki.

'sheesh, these old geezers complains too much, don't they know how stressful it is being a leader?' Rihan mused as he looks at the clan heads with a hint of disgust in his face.

"At any rate, the one who used Kyuuso must pay for what they had done," Nurarihyon whispered to Daruma.

"Yes, our authority cannot be questioned." Daruma whispered back.

" Karasu tengu," "Sir. " the bird yokai responded. "Find out if there was anyone connected to Kyuuso." Nurarihyon said, voice stern.

"And if there's a traitor..?" "In this current situation, we can only count on those within the main house." Rihan said as he glances at his father.

"We're counting on you, Karasu Tengu!" Nurarihyon said as Karasu Tengu nodded his head.

"Understood, then i shall send out my sons, the Sanba Garasu." Karasu Tengu said to Nurarihyon while Rihan closed the meeting.


A knock was heard at Rikuo's door, she sighs as she stands up and slides it open."What is it now Ri—"

"Hey there! " "K-Kana-chan?!" Rikuo replied in shock as Kana entered her room. "It's not just Ienaga-kun!"
Another voice cuts in.

"W-what?! You're all here?!" Rikuo took a step back to let her friends enter her room though albeit a bit hesitantly due to them coming there without notifying her first hand was kind of rude.

"Okay, i'll leave you kids alone!" Kejoro said as she sweatdrops and immediately ran away.

"Thank you Nura-san's big sister!" Kiyotsugu shouted cheerfully. "W-what are you guys doing here?" Rikuo asked nervously.

"We just wanted to visit!" Kiyotsugu answered cheerfully as he began to open his bag,seemingly looking for something.

"Unfortunately, Yura-kun have to go buy some new school uniform." He continued.

'That's one less thing to worry about.. Good thing that Rikun went back into his own room just a few moments ago..'

Rikuo thought as she smiles and sweatdrops at her friends. Kiyotsugu then slams his feet onto the tatami as he stood up causing the others to jolt up in surprise.

"Alright! Listen up! I'm going to announce the plan for the golden week!" Kiyotsugu shouted loudly,voice booming in her room. "Golden week? The one that starts this weekend?" Shiima asked as he tilted his head,waiting for confirmation.

"That's right! You guys aren't doing anything right?! Unlike me who is very active!" Kiyotsugu then chuckles as he pulls a brochure out of his bag, showing it to everyone in the room.

"We're going to meet a professor of yokai whom i've contacted previously!"

"Eh?!" "What do you mean by that?! We're gonna be staying together?!" Torii and Maki said at the same time.

'My bad feeling was spot on!' Shima thought as he sweats nervously.

Rikuo widens her eyes in both surprise and confusion.

"The location is Mount Nejireme! Where i also have a holiday house! In this area, where even now, great numbers of yokai legends remains... We're going for yokai training!" Kiyotsugu said excitedly.


A/N: Gyuuki arc here we go. Future updates will be a bit late/delayed because of work (cuz i'm home-based, I work from home)but I will still keep this fic going :) So please review and stay safe, avoid crowded places and wash your hands diligently.