chapter 6
(Inside a bullet train)
"Mount Nejireme? I've never heard of it, sorry.. " Yura said as she munches on an energy bar. "Well i wouldn't expect Yura-kun to know about it, only a yokai maniac like yokai-sensei would know about it! Today we're going to hear about this incredible legend! That's why we have to brush up on our "yokai lore"! This is one of the yokai training method that i came up.. ISN'T THIS YOKAI POKER fun?! "
"Ehhhhh again? " Torii said, showing disinterest of the said game. "You call it yokai trivia but isn't this just an Indian poker? " Maki continued,uninterested at the game due to it being played over and over for the last one hour.
"Don't talk rubbish! Although these cards looks like poker cards, they're illustrated with a 'drawing' and 'yokai power'! I had to figure them out myself! Before we go in, we must familiarize ourselves with nature and yokai! Right, Shiima-kun?! " "y-yeah.. " Shima answered hesitantly.
(20 minutes later)
"ahaha... I won, again..?" Rikuo said nervously as she shows the card that she was holding.
"Nura-san, you have some kind of yokai luck aren't you? This is your 20th victory, which i think isn't normal.." Shiima said as he eyes Rikuo suspiciously. "W-what?! What do you mean, it's all just by chance! I'm normal!" Rikuo said as she shakes her hands in denial. "ah—i'll go buy something, what would you like?" Rikuo asks.
"Eh, but isn't the guy with the worst record is suppose to be the one who buys the stuff?" Maki said. "It's fine, really." Rikuo said as she smiles.
"Heee—Nura is such a nice person, then cold orange juice please." Maki said smiling as she fix her sitting position. Tsurara smiles proudly in the background, eyes glittering with what seems to be a sense of proud.
'Why is she like this again?' Kana wonders as she glances at Tsurara.
"Rikuo-san fighting!" Tsurara said to Rikuo who is bringing the beverages.
'I MEAN... WHO ARE YOU?!' Kana shouted inside her mind as veins popped on her forehead.
"WHAT THE HECK?! IT'S ALL MOUNTAINS AND MORE MOUNTAINS!" Maki shouted,frustrated with the seemingly endless road filled with mountain peaks.
"Of course! This is training after all!"Kiyotsugu replied as he keeps on walking.
"My legs hurts.. " "huuuhh, are we really meeting in a place like this?" Maki asks, while trying to regain her breath. "Doesn't look like there's anyone around though" Shiima said while looking at their surroundings.
"Precisely, because nobody is here that the yokais will should up right?" Shiima asks nervously. "Probably that is.. " Kiyotsugu said, voice quiet. "You just said probably!" Maki points out angrily,feeling betrayed by her friend's hesitant reply.
"What's that?" Yura said as she points toward a small shrine. "It's a shrine, it enshrines a jizou, a guardian deity if children." Rikuo said as she looks towards the direction that Yura points before explaining the small shrine in the distance.
"Where?" Kiyotsugu asked,looking for the shrine. "The mist is quite thick, i can't really read what's written on it. " Rikuo said.
"Wait here, i'll go take a look" Yura said as she walks towards the shrine.
"It said, 'Umewakamaru'!" Rikuo shouted. "Ah you're right." Yura said as she looks at the writing on the stone. "Then this must be it, Umewakamaru's shrine! Well done Yura-kun! Just as i expected!" Kiyotsugu shouts as he and the others walks towards the stone and the small shrine.
"ah.. " Yura said as she stops abruptly.
"You've found it sooner than i expected, no wonder you're the Kiyo Cross Supernatural Squad."
Rikuo then looks warily at the newcomer, which happens to be an old man maybe around 30-40-ish, wearing glasses and didn't seems like he can smile.
"Who's that guy?" Shima asked, as Kiyotsugu answered excitedly. "AAH! it's you! The author and yokai researcher, Adashibara-sensei!" "Yup. "
"—Huh?" Maki and Torii said at the same time.
"It's an honor to meet you! " "Yup, yup! " Kiyotsugu said as he shakes the said author's hand vigorously. "aah I'm so happy.. And young ones too, how nice to have young girls who likes yokai"
"—ah no, no, we don't like yokai!" Maki shakes her head in denial.
"ahem.. The main character of this story is called Umewakamaru,this mountain's yokai legend. He got lost in these mountains about a thousand years ago, he was on his way, travelling to the east, in search of his long lost mother, when he was attacked by the yokais in this mountain, he lost his life in front of a cedar tree on this land, but his regret at not being able to save his mother was affected by this mountain's spirituality, his sorrowful existence and form, changed, Umewakamaru became an oni demon, he would attack anybody who got lost in these mountains. In order to appease him, many memorials were out on this mountains, Umewakamaru shrine is one of them." The man explained.
"well, isn't great? He became a yokai you know? " The man said while grinning.
"it sounds right... Kinda yokai legend-ish right?" Yura said. "I didn't expect such an old common story, though." Maki replied.
"Well I think it's because the yokai sensei and this yokai training isn't so scary." Tori said while smiling. "Eh? you don't believe me? Then let me show you something else." the man said as he walks away, letting the others to follow him.
"Rikuo-sama,at first i was a bit hesitant about this travel thing but now it isn't so bad right? Do you know any yokai named Umewakamaru?" Tsurara said giddily. Rikuo then stops abruptly causing Tsurara to accidentally bump into her.
"Tsurara, i think this mountain is quite dangerous. " Rikuo said, her tone serious as she looks at her surroundings.
"Eh? Rikuo-sama?" Without exchanging anymore words between themselves, they continue to walk down the narrow path.
"Waahh, this mist is so thick even though it was sunny earlier.. " Kiyotsugu said,his eyebrows furrowed. "Hm? What's this? " Maki asked as she touched the surface of the damaged wood.
"That's a claw mark. " The man answered.
"A CLAW?!" Maki screams. "This is the mountain where the yokai live, if you're scared of something, like a broken claw, you're gonna be in trouble. " The man said, his voice sounding ominous.
"NO WAY! " "FOR REAL?! " "Y-yokai live... On this mountain?! " Maki,Torii and Shiima screams loudly,expressing their fear openly without leaving anything behind.
" Lost in these mountains.. " Yura murmurs. "The travelers attacked by the yokai—it's name is... Gyuuki. " The man finishes.
(Summit of Mount Nejireme, Gyuuki Clan's mansion)
"Welcome home Gyuuki-sama " Gozumaru bowed as Gyuuki entered the house.
"Any change, Gozumaru? " Gozumaru smirked as he replied.
"The prey have entered the mountain." He replied coldly,waiting for the time for his turn to be on the spotlight as Gyuuki sat down, expression serious as the thunders blares.
