Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago. I only own my OCs and my story plots.
Retsu is currently 7 years old.
Belladonna
Chapter 29:
Night Retsu
Morning dew adorned the wild vegetation of Tōno no Sato, the specks of clear liquid gradually congregating into a single bead before sliding down the lush green leaf, and then disappearing into the soil. Thick mist crept along the forest floor while birds chirped high up in the dense canopy. In the light of day, the river running through the hidden village glistened brilliantly like diamonds.
During this time of day, Rikuo was usually seen squatting by the river, slaving away at his chores. Shivers wrecked his form now and then as the vapour weaselled through the smallest openings of his clothes, sinking unforgiving icy claws into his very bones. He sneezed.
Meanwhile, Retsu and Amezō are splashing around further upstream, sending waves and globs of water back and forth. He misses the few days Retsu would help out with the laundry in the name of delicate handling water training, but alas, once she started on more complex drills, he's back to tackling the mountainous load himself. It did not help that majority of these clothes are ridiculously large. He suspected they belonged to the Futtachi and maybe even Akagappa himself.
'Finally.' Rikuo let out a sigh of relief as soon as he wrung out the final piece of clothing and shoved it into the clean laundry sack. He stood up and stretched languidly before slinging the bag across his shoulder.
Now he just had to air these at the sunning area. He began the treacherous climb up the moss-covered rocks lining the ravine, and it was then that the peaceful morning atmosphere was shattered.
He heard the whizzing sound of something fairly big cutting through the air before he saw a flurry of unripe fruits raining down upon him with a vengeance. Hidden behind this barrage were Dohiko and his companions, their eyes and mischievous grins gleaming ominously from within the shade of the trees.
Rikuo narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the clean laundry bag. Oh so ready to throw hands this time.
…
Further away, midway up one of the looming mountains of Tōno, an inconspicuous flat rock protruded from a dense forest patch, allowing anyone a clear and unobstructed view of the ravine from there. Sitting in that quiet spot and tending to his sickles, an unbothered Itaku watched the scene unfold.
The Kamaitachi had always been keeping an eye on the Nura siblings since the day they had been assigned to him. He would be here in the mornings when Rikuo was tackling the laundry and firewood, while Retsu was practising with Amezō. Itaku would only leave when his official charge had completed his morning chores, beating him to the practice field, while the younger one would be placed in Amezō's reliable webbed claws till late afternoon. So there are not many happenings involving the two youngsters he was not privy to, at least, while they were in his village.
Which meant he also knew that Dohiko and his comrades had been ambushing Rikuo—armed with large and unripe fruits they got from who knows where—for the third day in a row. So far, they have been rather successful.
To be unable to fully dodge something as simple as fruits, no matter their sheer number, Itaku was vaguely disappointed. If the fruits had been sharp weapons, Rikuo would have resembled a porcupine by now. There was an attempted prank made on Retsu, but since it had been pitifully cut short the first time around, the ape demons gave up on that target fairly quickly.
With a round of hoots and hollers, the fruits descended upon the quarter yōkai and sailed straight through him, hitting the rocks with dull thuds. Rikuo's form wavered back and forth before dispersing in a swirl of black.
Not missing a beat, Itaku huffed. It was about time he avoided the amateur sneak attacks.
Undeterred, the band of Futtachi quickly flung more projectiles near the illusion in hopes of landing a lucky hit on the actual body no doubt slinking about somewhere near. However, they never made contact.
Rikuo reappeared, laundry bag missing but with a wooden stick in hand—the same stick he picked up when he was fighting for his life against the Kyōto yōkai—and used it like a baseball bat. One of the fruits was sent straight back at Dohiko with superb accuracy, and it nailed him right in the forehead. Immediately, the ape demon fell into stunned silence.
A couple of heartbeats passed, and then, the entire group began laughing boisterously, clapping and cheering for a job well done. This recognition earned a half grin from Rikuo.
Itaku narrowed his eyes at the scene. 'They're all getting quite chummy.'
A priorly buried apprehension began to surface once again, souring his mood. This nagging feeling had been unwittingly instilled into him by none other than his leader, Akagappa. The Kamaitachi could still recall that conversation from the day before—at this very same spot and timing—all too vividly…
…
It was the day after the impromptu visit made by the Kyōto yōkai and a near-death experience for Rikuo, who had gotten lucky by escaping the event relatively unscathed. Itaku was watching over the two siblings, as per his new norm.
Due to the abnormally dense Osore within Tōno no Sato, Rikuo could stay in his demon form even when the sun was up. So he managed to put up quite the fight yesterday, hanging in there till Itaku reached him. However, Retsu, at the mere age of seven, turning eight in two months—or so he heard from the gang—could not. Thinking back on it now, it had been a stroke of good fortune that she was not there during the time of the attack. He gave a small mental thanks to their resident Zashiki Warashi, Yukari.
Since her human form is significantly weaker, simply getting caught in the crossfire of two or more powerful Osore would have been detrimental. Not to mention that given her history with them, the capital demons probably would not have left quite as easily as they did should they have seen her. Even Itaku was not too sure he would have been able to guarantee the safety of both siblings with just him alone against those three.
"How is it? Does the grandson of Nurarihyon have any potential?" A rumbling voice came from behind, cutting his train of thought short.
Itaku stopped cleaning his sickles and turned around to greet his commander. "Akagappa-sama."
Akagappa's large frame stood quietly beside him and the Kamaitachi cast his gaze downwards to the ravine. "How do I put this… He's gotten a lot better at washing clothes."
This earned him a deep chuckle. "Clothes washing, huh? How about his fighting skills?"
"It's not bad. That guy has a lot of passion, he only wanted to become stronger." Itaku's gaze narrowed, "But it's still not good enough, he lacks battle experience."
"How about Hatsu?"
"Right now, he's barely scraping by. He still needs to learn how to react accordingly based on the circumstances of the battle."
"And the little one?"
Itaku shifted his gaze further up and settled upon the small child Amezō was currently instructing. His mind rapidly flicked through her strengths and weaknesses, before settling upon a simple verdict. "The granddaughter… similar case, but she's faring better."
All except for that incident with the Sakura bomb.
Akagappa arched a brow, huffing an amused laugh. "Oh?"
"She's crafty. Although she lacked experience and strength, she made up for it with quick thinking and tricks, so most of her shortcomings are covered. In a battle of Osore, she had caught Awashima off guard twice." Itaku paused for a split second before adding darkly, "… She's an annoying opponent."
Akagappa gave a hearty laugh before peering down the ravine, muttering to himself. "Not so cute, eh?"
If she had been 'cuter', her chances of survival might not be looking too good. However, Itaku kept that comment to himself. As things are, had she truly been out for their blood, she would be a tricky one to deal with. Itaku had been able to stay ahead of those two due to his sharp instincts and experience, so if they had more of the latter… He tightened his grip on his sickle.
"If I had more time, I would really want to teach them all the techniques…" He said truthfully. They had so much more ways to go. In just a few years, maybe a decade or so, he might even have two new sparring partners to sharpen his blades against. Fighting the same old Ayakashi every day for the past few centuries was hardly much of a challenge anymore. Everyone knew the other's techniques and habits pretty much inside out by now.
"Mm, but that guy seemed exceptionally eager to head to Kyōto."
"True… but it's too early for him." Itaku frowned when he recalled a small nagging tidbit. Rikuo had made himself clear that he wanted to drop by the old capital, but… he had never once heard Retsu's opinion. All she ever mentioned was that neither of them is strong enough to head there yet, but that doesn't mean she didn't intend to go there. Perhaps he should keep an ear out for the younger one a bit more. "The Kyōto yōkai are strong, even I wanted to fight them."
"Are you talking about Kidōmaru?" Akagappa stroked his beard, expression earnest. "The two Ayakashi he brought along seemed to be fairly strong too."
"I cut off one of their hands," Itaku said without missing a beat, causing the other to laugh loudly. He continued, "But Kidōmaru's different, he's particularly strong."
Akagappa pursed his lips into a thin line, humming in agreement, "Indeed."
"His Osore, the quality and depth had far exceeded that of the average yōkai. In addition, he has a strong sword swing and can calmly analyze a battle situation. He must be a powerful demon."
"Kidōmaru's more famous now than he was in the Edo period, of course he's strong. Although a few strands of his hair had greyed, the more experienced he is, the stronger he may be." Akagappa said solemnly, nodding silently.
'Can I win?' Whenever he encountered a powerful opponent, he would ask himself this question, and the answer had always been the same.
How would I know if I don't try?
Entering a fight while being mentally prepared for certain death would surely lead to a definite victory—Such a childish way of thinking was not an attitude a professional fighter should have. Itaku began to mentally run battle stimulations between him and Kidōmaru. There was no fear in his heart, merely a strong fighting spirit. He knew that his recklessness came from the nature of Tōno yōkai, for they all had a thirst for battle.
"Itaku, do you want to go out and fight?" Akagappa suddenly asked.
"Go out and fight?"
"Yes. Go with the grandson of Nurarihyon to Kyōto and fight together. You're thinking about that, right?"
"With that guy? No way," Itaku immediately refuted the absurd idea.
He had thought of leaving his homeland to test his skills, but these feelings had never had anything to do with Rikuo. "If I wish to fight together with someone, I would choose a stronger yōkai. That guy is a total newbie. I could not have cared less if he is the young leader of the Nura clan, he's just a pampered young master. Either way, I definitely would not become his comrade."
A small amused quirk tugged at the corner of Akagappa's mouth. "Oh? Why did you suddenly speak ill of him?"
"Those were my true thoughts."
"I used to be like you as well." He sighed inaudibly, staring far off into the distance. Itaku turned to look at him.
"When that guy's grandfather came here, I was just like you now, harbouring no good impression of him whatsoever… I admit that he is really strong, but that mouth of his was so arrogant, whenever he spoke, it was always about his vision, his wish. At that time, I thought, who does this Nurarihyon think he is?"
Itaku nodded.
"But in the end, I fell."
"Fell?"
"He had a certain charm and aura. I was conquered by these two things."
Itaku was skeptical. "No way? Akagappa-sama was actually conquered?"
The older Ayakashi nodded in confirmation.
"I wanted to follow that man—even though very few in this world could make me feel this way, they do exist. That would be his grandfather." He pointed towards Nurarihyon's grandson.
At this time, Rikuo was none the wiser to the conversation unfolding atop that mountain and merely kept his head down, silently working up foam on the washboard.
"Nurarihyon is that sort of man. If I wasn't the leader at that time, I might have gone with him then."
"Gone with him…" Itaku muttered to himself while he watched Rikuo, brows furrowed together marginally.
Would I follow such a weak man?
…That's not possible. Itaku immediately shot the idea down.
Akagappa continued to speak, as though waving off his earlier comment. "It doesn't matter, you might not be attracted to him as I did. But he is still the grandson of Nurarihyon. Before you knew it, he might just intrude into your heart one day, just like what his grandfather did to me."
With a secret ghost of a smile, he left, leaving the other to mull things over on his own. Itaku stayed frozen in his spot for a long while, the phrase "unconsciously intruding into your heart" giving him a bad feeling.
…
Akagappa's ambiguous parting words just before his return back to the mansion had been bothering him ever since. Occasionally, Itaku would find himself nearly glaring a hole through an unsuspecting Rikuo, lips pursed. Though this time, Dohiko was unfortunately included due to him standing so close to the former.
The Futtachi shivered.
…
The afternoon training session could commence once Rikuo was done with the firewood. Itaku stood atop a ridiculously large branch that belonged to one of the more ancient trees found within Tōno, giving him an unobstructed view of the entire practice field. The thick canopies surrounding these parts cast a large shadow across the forest floor and only allowed the occasional sunlight to shine through the tiny gaps of shifting leaves.
Rikuo was currently busy dodging Amezō's water attacks with Kyōka Suigetsu, while the rest of the Tōno gang and Retsu watched from some distance away.
Itaku, Awashima, Dohiko and Amezō are usually the siblings' sparring partners, and they would switch after one or two matches. Since both of them lacked battle experience and tactics, by switching opponents, they would be forced to learn to adapt and improvise, thus gaining the aforementioned things they are missing. It is a good training method. However, Rikuo did not have as many opportunities to spar with Amezō, since the Numakappa and Retsu are usually preoccupied until lunchtime and then some. So whenever the green yōkai was available, he was almost immediately roped into the mock battles, like right now.
While Itaku was observing their battle, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Awashima meandering up to stand beside him. After a pause, the blonde said, "I heard Amezō brought the two of them to that waterfall."
Itaku cast a questioning glance at him, making sure to keep his tone of surprise from his voice. "He brought them to the waterfall?"
'When? Was it yesterday?' The Kamaitachi had assumed that Rikuo would be heading for the training grounds soon once he was done with his chores, so he had left in advance after making sure that the apprentice did not slack off. Rikuo was running a little later than expected, but he had presumed that he had taken a dip in the river before arriving since his hair was still wet.
Without tearing his gaze away from the practice field, Awashima nodded, the toothpick in his mouth moving along as he spoke. "Amezō would only bring people he admires to the waterfall. Though I'm not sure what they did, he seemed to like them."
Itaku fell into a contemplative silence while refocusing his gaze back on the mock battle. Watching Rikuo like a hawk for the slightest mistakes in his movements that might need to be rectified.
The quarter demon may not be intentionally doing anything to win favours. Then again, the yōkai Nurarihyon would always enter people's homes undetected. Perhaps Rikuo quietly opened the door from outside… No, most likely, it was Amezō who opened the door, after all, he brought the duo to the waterfall on his own accord. As for Retsu… He briefly glanced at her small form sitting quietly to the side with Reira and Yukari, her eyes beginning to slip close, head nodding. She must be experiencing a food coma.
He could understand why Amezō would have brought her along, considering he was supposed to watch her. Itaku had gone to that waterfall with him once. Although the green yōkai generally had an easy-going personality, he was still a demon after all, so his territorial instincts do show up now and then. The location of that waterfall was something he guarded jealously, even fellow Tōno mercenaries were rarely invited, so it was only a matter of fact that he was strict in deciding who was worthy enough to be brought along. In the past, there was a few foolhardy idiots who once tried to force him to divulge its location and incurred his wrath. Things nearly escalated into a full-out brawl.
The sounds of battle continued, and just as Rikuo was about to force Amezō into a tight spot, Dohiko, the self-appointed referee, suddenly jumped in and called for a break, forcing an end to the match. Relaxing from their stances, the Futtachi moved to crack a joke with them and Rikuo answered promptly with a sentence or two. At that moment, their surroundings were filled with laughter.
The scenery from earlier that morning resurfaced at the forefront of his mind. 'So he was conquered too, huh…'
The circumstances that led to this weren't all that dramatic, but rather, it was with a subtle shift.
Amezō and Dohiko had never distanced themselves from the Nura siblings, and it was the same for Itaku and Awashima. Ever since the day they were brought to Tōno, the yōkai have treated them normally, acted as their sparring partners and even joked occasionally. But deep within their hearts, all of them knew that they were merely guests and that one day, they would leave and go someplace where they would no longer have anything to do with them.
A passing guest who would one day leave, and a comrade who would walk the same road with him into the foreseeable future… are two completely different things in terms of a relationship.
Both Amezō and Dohiko have already treated Rikuo as a comrade. It was why he was brought to that waterfall or was congratulated even when the Futtachi had been nailed square in the forehead by a fruit. However, Itaku does not share the sentiment. 'I'm different from them. I won't open the door and let you into my world…'
"That Rikuo is such a strange person." Awashima mused aloud, the toothpick between his teeth moving along as he tilted his head to the side, "In terms of ability, he is obviously still weak. But for some unknown reason, you can't stop taking notice of him."
Itaku was nearly sizzling a hole into Awashima's side profile with his gaze alone, and it took the latter a while before he finally noticed, turning his head towards the Kamaitachi. What he saw in the other's penetrating stare made him uneasy.
"W—Why are you giving me that look?"
Looking away, Itaku coldly said, "Nothing."
Knowing something was amiss, Awashima hurriedly tacked on, "Hey, hey, let's make one thing clear, I don't plan to be good friends with Rikuo, alright? And that guy was grinning stupidly during practice, there wasn't an ounce of urgency in him at all. He must be lectured properly."
His tone was filled with denial, as though wishing to salvage something.
"Then, you do it."
"Ah?"
"Lecture him. Go find that guy who needs to have some sense beaten into him later, and give him a good scolding." Itaku looked Awashima straight in the eyes, as though challenging him to prove him wrong.
"Eh? Where's Awashima?" Amezō queried after a brief look around the training field, noting that the Amanojaku was nowhere to be found.
"Away," Itaku replied simply.
The Numakappa shrugged, deciding that the rest of the gang could always fill him in at any time. It would be best to grasp this timing while Retsu was taking her afternoon nap. Amezō relayed to them the new things he learned about the younger sibling just yesterday morning. About how she knew the capital demons had come around, having recognised them from the lingering Osore, and that her previous teachers, while she was in Kyōto, were Kidōmaru and Ibaraki Dōji.
Immediately, their expressions turned stony. She must not have had an easy time under the tutelage of the two infamous and bloodthirsty Oni.
"Did she say anything else?" Itaku queried, mentally filing away his other charge's particular sensitivity to lingering Osore. She has the makings of a tracker, and with some specific training, she would be hell to shake off, but that's something for another day.
Amezō rubbed his jaw, trying his best to recall any other important tidbits. "She said they had seen Meikyō Shisui only once, since she always stuck to Offense Osore during her stay there, and she could not use Hyoui back then. …Hmmm… ah! She also said that Kidōmaru had reservations about her, so his training methods are half-hearted."
"Half-hearted?" Dohiko said skeptically. "And she's already reached this level?"
"Perhaps she received better instruction from the Nura Clan?" Reira suggested tentatively. "She did mention that she had two years of training."
"Maybe." Amezō shrugged. "Retsu also said she preferred Tōno's training methods over the ones she got in Kyōto."
Itaku was silent for a moment as he mulled things over. It does explain why her fighting style was so vicious, she certainly possessed the battle flair of a Kyōto yōkai. The base teachings were probably ingrained into her to the point it was hard to break away from. Not even the Nura Clan would be able to rid her of those habits within a short time frame. On the other hand, Rikuo lacked that same viciousness and had to learn a different kind in Tōno.
"I doubt the training they got from their clan was anything much." The Kamaitachi deduced. Although it did the job of drilling them some bare minimum basics, advanced techniques… If they had capable people to teach them back home, the siblings wouldn't have needed to come all the way here.
"They probably learnt the basics from them, but I haven't seen any advanced techniques." Itaku huffed, eyes narrowed. "Even if there was one, the technique of attaching Osore to a blade was self-taught. From the sounds of it, it was as though Retsu was the one who had been monitoring Rikuo's training regimen."
Now that he thought about it, it probably wasn't too far-fetched to say that Retsu made her own training regime after seeing what the Kyōto yōkai was capable of. Was there really no one from the clan suitable and capable of instructing them? Rumours were spreading around that the Nura Clan's power are declining, had it already progressed to such an extent?
When he visited the Nura Clan around half a year ago, apart from Nurarihyon and that blind Ayakashi whose Osore he could not see through, there was one executive who also had a refined Osore. While he could understand that having either of these three demons teaching the siblings was overkill, finding someone around the executive level to spar and teach them should have still been doable. So why were the heirs not taught properly?
"You noticed too, huh? It sounded like she was his instructor or something." Dohiko chipped in, his look of mild concern mirroring Yukari's.
"Oh yeah," Amezō perked up, recalling one more piece of information that is worthy of mention. "She also said her demon counterpart had been hibernating for the past two years."
Silence fell upon them as their wits were scattered, it took a few moments before they managed to salvage some of it, and the stillness was broken by an incredulous—
"Two years?" Dohiko's eyes widened marginally. "Wait, hold up. So she also has a demon counterpart like Rikuo? But she just didn't know about it since the other one was… sleeping?"
"Why was the demon part of her hibernating in the first place?" Itaku asked the million-dollar question, brows furrowed together. It's just one thing after another with the youngest.
"No idea, she hasn't said anything about it." Amezō shrugged helplessly, just as clueless as the rest of them. "But she did say she might be waking up soon. Something about getting weird dreams in the other's point of view or something."
They fell into a contemplative silence.
"Did you know what the dreams were about?" Reira asked tentatively.
"That." Amezō scratched his cheek, "I didn't ask. But I'm pretty sure she told Rikuo about it."
Itaku would have to hunt Rikuo down later when he needed answers, however, as long as it is not affecting their training, he would let it slide for now.
"I also told her to come to find us if she ran into any trouble or had questions so…" Amezō shrugged, "We'll just have to wait for her to come to us if she needs it."
The sky had turned a fiery orange as the sun continued its descent, painting the earth below in a similar hue. Awashima erased his youki before making his way towards the open-air stone bath where he knew without a doubt that is where Rikuo would be.
Rikuo's chores throughout the day were split into two sections, morning and late evening. Laundry and wood cutting was done first before his daytime practice, as they had to make full use of the bright sun, lest the laundry start smelling funny when it was not dried properly. Then, the baths needed to be cleaned before sunset and nighttime practice. Finally, just before washing up and turning in for the day, he had to heat the bathwater with some of the previously processed firewood.
All in all, his day was usually tiring and filled with hard work, considering that he did the work of four Tōno yōkai. In return for doing their chores, the Tōno gang have more time to come up with daily training outlines for him, and also take a break while they're at it. Since they rarely had a day off for centuries, even if they had been excused from chores, that's only because they had been dispatched to the frontlines.
Awashima stealthily sneaked behind the row of large boulders lining the bath, before peeking out from the shadows of the rock and observing his target. Rikuo was squatting about six feet away, loose work pants hiked around his knees so they don't drag in the water, while his top was removed and placed far away from the immediate splash zone. He clutched an old brush in one hand tightly while he busily scrubbed away at the stone walls.
Seeing no better opportunity than this, Awashima tested the weight of the spare brush he had swiped from the cleaning supplies store, reared back his arm and chucked it at Rikuo's unsuspecting form. The projectile hit its target square between the shoulder blades. However, Rikuo's image distorted, and it was then that he knew he had been had.
'Rikuo' dispersed into thin air with a swirl of black. Then, his actual body reappeared some distance away from the illusion, smiling cheekily. "Awashima, what are you doing?"
The Amanojaku straightened up, vacating the shadows of the boulder with a smile. "Hey, so you can dodge."
Inwardly, he stuck his tongue out.
If the brush had hit its target, he would have been able to say, "Too lax! Didn't we tell you to maintain your Osore at all times!" However, since he avoided the sneak attack, Awashima did not have any excuse. In an attempt to prove to Itaku that he wasn't being overly friendly with their apprentice, he said he wanted to give Rikuo a good talking-to, but that comment was made in the heat of the moment. And Itaku, that guy actually pushed the task onto him!
Thinking about it now, he didn't want to lecture Rikuo at all.
Although Rikuo had been joking with Amezō and Dohiko on the practice fields during the day, it wasn't something serious enough that warranted a lecture. As long as he continued to improve his fighting skills, it was more than enough. As one of his mock battle partners, Awashima knew very clearly that the young quarter demon was improving and becoming stronger with each passing day.
"Is there something you need?" Rikuo asked and after waiting for a couple of beats, his eyes narrowed suspiciously upon seeing there was no reply.
Urgh. He originally came here to nag, but not only has he lost his sole excuse, but he also lost his motivation to start. However, now that things had come to this, he couldn't just say sayonara and leave. It's way too unnatural. Rikuo would definitely assume that the only reason he came here was to throw a brush at him and laugh.
"Uh… Ugh… I…" He stuttered, searching through his mind for a good excuse to feed him, but he was drawing a blank.
Rikuo picked up the brush he had thrown and tossed it back to him. He snatched the brush out of the air before it could hit him as the younger demon said, "If you have nothing to do, then help me wash the bath."
In this situation, he couldn't turn down the bone that was thrown at him, so he had no other choice but to begrudgingly accept. "Oh, okay."
He took off his red haori, picked up the brush and squatted in the middle of the stone bath. The sun was gradually moving towards the West, but there was still some time before evening and therefore, he would remain in his male body for a little while longer. He finally had an excuse to stay, but the process of achieving that was kind of strange.
Since the bath was rather spacious, tackling one section together would decrease efficiency, so in the end, they decided to split up and clean with their backs to each other. All was silent save for the sounds of brushes scrubbing against the smooth stones. This sudden quietness made Awashima feel uneasy.
The Amanojaku bit down on his toothpick, grinding it between his teeth. Being so conscious of a person he normally would not care much about is odd. As he unwillingly cleaned, he thought about what he could do to break the silence and decided to voice the first random thought that came to mind.
"Rikuo, your hair is really long."
The moment that sentence left his mouth, he regretted it deeply. 'What the hell am I saying!?'
Not only was this topic unimportant, but he also did not necessarily need to understand it either. However, he couldn't take back what he had already said. Fortunately, Rikuo didn't seem to think too much about it and promptly replied, "Yep, I'm a yōkai now, which is why my hair is long. It'll become shorter when I change into my human form."
"I see." Awashima replied nonchalantly, and paused for a beat, recalling something, "Oh right, I heard that originally, you would change into a human during the day?"
"Yeah, it's like that outside, but it's special here. Whether it is day or night, I would still look like this."
"Isn't that rather inconvenient outside? Being human for some time and then becoming a yōkai the next." Awashima had asked Retsu a similar question as well when the siblings first arrived in Tōno. Since changing forms was a trait they share, he was naturally curious. From the sounds of her reply, she's the type that doesn't seem too bothered by it and simply opted to go with the flow, since there is no other choice anyway.
A special body that switches between genders, and another that always switched between his human and yōkai forms, there weren't many demons with these types of involuntary constitutions. …Itaku also being another special case. He wondered what Rikuo thought about it.
"Inconvenient…" The younger demon muttered, mulling it over for a bit, before tentatively replying, "I don't know how to say this either. The feeling is different from being inconvenienced… rather I felt confused over it."
Rikuo told him that there was a time when he was doubtful about whether he should inherit the Nura Clan. As a human with only one-quarter demon blood, it had caused him no small amounts of frustration about whether he would truly be suited to become the heir to a yōkai Yakuza organization. Not to mention that some of the executives were also skeptical of his capabilities. But things happened and with the help of his comrades, he could finally accept himself.
"How about you, Awashima?" Rikuo asked in return, curious about the Amanojaku's experiences.
"I've also gone through a lot of things before," He replied without missing a beat, having expected the question.
The child born from a goddess and a demon god is a yōkai whose gender will change depending on the time of the day. Possessing the soul of a male and a female in the same body had caused him a great amount of frustration. When he was young, Awashima didn't know what Hatsu was, and neither did he know what was considered a Hatsu. His childhood was spent being deeply troubled by the meaning of his own existence.
Over time, the male and female in his body both grew up. The boy became a man, the girl became a woman, and his body went through obvious changes. It was then that Awashima learnt how to use his Hatsu. After going through gruelling training to learn two co-existing yet opposite techniques—the gentle tolerance of the goddess and the fierce combat abilities of the demon god—Awashima finally completed the techniques he needed to learn as a ninja yōkai and was temporarily free of the thoughts that tormented him when he was growing up.
However, although he had learnt the essential battle techniques and was as capable as any other yōkai mercenary, Awashima still experienced the displeasure of being discriminated against many times.
The Ōshū Tōno Family was a mercenary group, so of course, they are also in charge of recommending and allocating mercenaries to Hyakki Yako across the nation. Members of various clans would visit Tōno no Sato when they needed more soldiers, borrowing only the strongest Tōno yōkai for a certain period. It was mostly during this time that Awashima got his dignity bruised.
'You'll turn into a woman at night? Please, demons normally engage in battle at night, turning into a woman halfway through, how do you expect us to fight on? Isn't there another stronger yōkai?'
He had heard way too many of these types of comments. Even if he doesn't dwell on them anymore, however, if the other party was being overly nasty, there would be hell to pay. She had previously lost her temper as a woman countless times and brought excruciating pain upon the other party without even needing to use her Osore.
"There are many simple-minded people in this world, they're everywhere. They conclude that I am useless without even understanding my power, total bastards." Recalling the unsavoury events he had gone through, Awashima couldn't help but click his tongue in distaste.
Hearing his story, Rikuo nodded calmly and after a beat, said, "So you had that kind of past. Thank you for telling me these things."
Although it was a rather bland reaction, the feeling wasn't all bad. Awashima didn't need too much pity or sympathy.
"Uh, it's okay, I guess. Being able to hear your story, I should be thanking you as well." Awashima replied sheepishly.
The uncomfortable feeling from before had completely dissipated.
Afterwards, the duo resumed their cleaning, and a long period of silence passed until Rikuo suddenly piped up, "Oh yeah, Amezō taught me the secret to cutting wood."
"Amezō taught you the secret skill?"
"Yeah, that is to apply Osore when cutting wood."
"I see."
Although his voice is calm and steady, Awashima couldn't help but narrow his eyes. What was that Amezō thinking? Wood cutting was the area he was in charge of. It felt like his own student had been snatched away and he was frustrated by it. However, it had never once crossed his mind that this was the result of his not teaching Rikuo properly in the first place.
"Okay then, since it's such a rare chance, let me teach you the secret to cleaning a bath." He said conspiratorially. Calling it revenge is rather exaggerated, especially since Awashima was the only one who thought of it that way, but he still decided to play a little prank.
Rikuo, the gullible apprentice that he is, was quick to accept Awashima's goodwill. "Really? Then please!"
"Okay, then move the brush following my instructions." As he said that, Awashima stood next to Rikuo, showing him the steps, "Listen up, you have to imagine that you're drawing a circle. Move your arms in a circular motion."
"Like this?" Rikuo attempted to draw a circle with his brush, but it was too small.
"No, not like that. Bigger."
"Li—Like this?"
"Just like that. Faster, and maintain that form!"
"Oh? Oh!" Rikuo drew large circles upon the stone slab with the brush, and it wasn't long before the quarter demon began to feel the strain in his muscles. Between huffs and puffs, he wheezed out, "Ca… Can I ask… This action, what does it have to do with the activation of Osore?"
"This action huh?" Pausing a bit for dramatic effects, Awashima said, "It would make your arm super tired, and it's good for muscle training!"
"Hey, that has nothing to do with Osore at all!" Rikuo complained.
Awashima laughed, clutching at his stomach. "Rikuo, I didn't expect that you'll be so good at playing the straight man, that's kind of amazing."
"Now isn't the time for praises…" Rikuo glared at him but eventually, couldn't help but crack a smile, which then evolved into a full-out laugh.
Once they were done cleaning the bath nearly spotless, the sky and Awashima too, began showing signs of entering their night state. Awashima had never shown anyone the moment in which he changed into a girl, and he doesn't intend to do so now.
"Thanks, Rikuo. That was good exercise."
"If that's so, then come and help me tomorrow as well."
"Don't be foolish. I dare you to try and ask me to help you again." Awashima threw the brush to Rikuo and left with a wave, "I'm going."
Even though cleaning was tiring work, his body had never felt lighter.
It has only been six days and seven nights since we arrived here, and already, Itaku is gradually getting used to Meikyō Shisui.
That is…. bad news for me.
While it is indeed true that Meikyō Shisui is weak against opponents with razor-sharp instincts, even so, this is ridiculous. He seemed to be able to vaguely sense my eyes on him—therefore my whereabouts—despite my best efforts to not stare at him too hard even when in stealth mode, and also keeping a firm lid on my bloodlust.
The Kamaitachi was extremely sensitive towards the latter. I noticed as much the first few days.
My water slices are steadily packing more of a punch as well, even though I am unable to completely cut a boulder in half, at least I can still slice through it three-fourths of the way. Before, I was only able to dent or gorge the rock at best. So with that in mind, I sent two water slices towards the Kamaitachi that he had to avoid, physically putting a stop to his advancement for a few brief seconds to breathe.
I cast a glance down at his foot, and I briefly wondered if I would be able to pull off manipulating a small portion of his blood right now. Water found in plants and blood in animals is pretty different. However, I was unable to attempt anything as a curved blade is coming right for my face, and I leaned back so quickly that I felt my back muscles pull in protest.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I ducked and weaved through the multiple fast swipes of his sickles, stepping back just when one cuts up in a flash of silver. Before I knew what was happening, the loosened front of my kimono was somehow tugged upwards and right into my face. I jerked back on reflex, lips parted in surprise and I tasted cloth.
Morbidly, I felt the slightly loosened front baby tooth dislodge from my gums and blood slowly began to fill my mouth.
The little tooth hit the ground and bounced away in a series of rhythmic 'taks'. Flushing red, I immediately went after it, the practice match forgotten. I barely dodged an incoming sickle as the blunt end skimmed the side of my neck.
An agitated and nonsensical high yelp—sounding suspiciously like Awashima—came from the sidelines.
Both the noise and my sudden break in concentration combined had startled Itaku enough into backing up. Perplexed mahogany eyes tracked my form while I hurried after my rolling baby tooth, finally managing to pin it down once its momentum slowed enough. Immediately, I hid it within the palm of my hand, a little self-conscious about plausible bits of flesh still sticking to it, my lips firmly pursed to keep the blood inside my mouth for now.
"What the hell?!" Awashima yelled, hurrying over towards us in worry, the rest of the Tōno gang not too far behind. "What happened?!"
Itaku wisely stepped aside lest he got steamrolled by the Amanojaku. She grabbed both my cheeks in her hands, turning my face left and right to gauge any damage. Her bright brown eyes zero in on the fine line of blood on my neck, courtesy of the sharp end of the Kamaitachi's sickle, and she tsked, the toothpick clenched between her teeth moving along. I briefly wondered how much the Amanojaku had practised to not accidentally spit it out mid-conversation… or choke on it.
"What were you chasing after?" She exclaimed, eyeing my clenched fist in bewilderment.
Since I rather not have blood gurgling from my mouth in an attempt to speak and scare the last remaining living daylights out of them, I could only reluctantly show her my baby tooth.
A look of horror clouded everyone's face once they caught sight of it, their hearts seeming to have dropped for a split second before Rikuo calmly squeezed himself between them to see what the fuss was all about. Crimson red eyes flicked to the small tooth on my open palm.
"Oh, you're changing your baby tooth?"
A look of realisation overcame the Tōno group when I quietly nodded, and they let out a sigh of relief. 'Did they think it was an adult tooth that wouldn't grow back?'
A presence loomed behind me and I turned to look, immediately flinching as I finally caught sight of my sparring partner's face. More specifically, the flickers of glowing amber at the edge of his mahogany eyes, his round pupils possessing a more slit-like look as his hold on his true appearance slipped.
Itaku was fuming.
Retsu was in time out until her gum and the cut on her neck stopped bleeding, sulking in a dark corner after Itaku chewed her out for her reckless action to pick up her baby tooth mid-spar with no prior warning whatsoever. Rikuo had only looked on from the side in bewildered silence.
For the second most notable time since the Nura siblings came here, Itaku was reminded that no matter how well-versed the younger one is in combat and conversations, she still has lapses of judgment comparable to small children—the first time being the stink bomb incident. And the major problem is, no one knows when it will show up. He would have cut through her jugular had his instincts not screamed at him to stop. His brows furrowed further together in vexation, hands tightening his grip on his biceps, blood boiling.
That wasn't the only thing bothering him lately, no. Everyone getting all close to Rikuo was also another source of headaches for him.
Earlier, Itaku had subtly goaded Awashima into giving Rikuo a talking-to, partly because he wanted to test if he would really submit to the younger Ayakashi. In the end, he had indeed been conquered. The Kamaitachi may not know what exactly went on during the cleaning of the stone baths before night practice, but he was sure something must have happened for Awashima to feel "Fear" towards Rikuo.
The Amanojaku is being a whole lot chummier with him now and he was already pretty touchy-feely out of all of them, to begin with. He couldn't help but think, 'Is it okay to treat him as a comrade this quickly? What is so charismatic about that guy?'
"Your face looks really scary," Reira said with a small laugh as she stood beside him, Yukari with her.
"Scary," the Zashiki Warashi parroted in amusement and he immediately smoothed out his frown to not further prove them right.
They were standing at one of their usual viewing spots, upon a thick tree branch that overlooked the entire practice field. Rikuo is currently using 'Hatsu' and dodging Awashima's attacks, while a little further to a corner, Retsu sat with the other two Tōno yōkai, Dohiko and Amezō, the latter playing referee for this round. Bits of the extra bandages the child had brought are stuffed in her mouth, the white ends poking out between her lips turning a slight pink from the blood and saliva it has soaked up.
The Nura siblings have both improved by leaps and bounds, faring much better than when they had first arrived in Tōno. Although they still have much left to learn. Rikuo, especially, had made much progress, since he finally managed to put a halt to Dohiko's evil tricks.
Seeing no reply from the Kamaitachi, Reira continued, "First it's Amezō and Dohiko, after that is Awashima. Seeing everyone slowly getting attracted to Rikuo, does that make you that unhappy?"
"This isn't a matter of being happy or unhappy, I just find it strange. Is he that amazing? Does he truly have that much ability to make everyone see him as a comrade in just a few days?" Itaku wondered where their pride as a mercenary went, going ahead and falling into other people's traps so easily.
The quarter demon is now seen as a comrade instead of a guest. Even though it wasn't a big change, the look in their eyes, their distance to the way they spoke, are gradually changing into the way they would treat a comrade. The biggest difference is in the way Awashima felt his Osore. It was the same for Amezō and Dohiko. From their interactions with Rikuo, they have all begun to be drawn to it.
Seeing Itaku tilt his head, Reira chuckled softly. "Since you have such feelings, does that not prove that you're attracted to him? If you aren't interested in him, then you shouldn't be feeling this way."
Upon hearing this, Itaku had a strong urge to say that the reason she gave was too preposterous, ultimately, however, he chose to remain silent. More denial would only result in more misunderstandings, so it is better to refrain from replying.
"Yukari is the same, she seems to like Rikuo a lot," Reira added, and Yukari, upon hearing her name, snuggled closer to the Yuki Onna with a meaningful smile. "Rikuo is truly a mysterious Ayakashi. He's been here for a week and has already captured the hearts of all the yōkai."
Itaku gave the pinkette a contemplative side look, "Reira, even you?"
"What about me?"
"Did you feel his Fear as well?"
She smiled and paused for a second, intentionally prolonging the suspense. "He said something to me once."
"What did he say?"
"He hoped that I would teach the method of making my handmade honey lemons to the Yuki Onna in his family."
Itaku's eyes narrowed, observing that a rare expression, just like a young girl's, now adorned her typically mature demeanour. 'I see. That means I'm the only one who hasn't been conquered yet.'
He lowered his head and smiled. Was he too stubborn? Someone can become really withdrawn and obstinate after staying in Tōno for a long time. But, Amezō and the rest were just like him, they had all stayed in Tōno this whole time. Despite that, they were taken with Rikuo so quickly. Could it be that the others discovered something special in Rikuo, and he hasn't?
Just as Akagappa had told him two days ago, that a Nurarihyon might just intrude into your heart without you knowing, and now his grandson… No. Itaku frowned, eyes narrowing as a slight chill ran down his back. That's not it.
His grandchildren.
He was not exactly sure when it had started, but the Amanojaku was already taken with Retsu for a while now, taking the child under her wing like a hen would with a little chick. Amezō is her water training instructor, while Reira and Yukari were tasked with guiding and taking care of her ever since the night she arrived, so there were already plenty of chances for them to bond. Not to mention the changes the younger one made were even more subtle, or maybe he had just been too focused on the older one all this while.
'Heh.' A distinct thought surfaced in his mind, that he hadn't been conquered yet. Not by either of them.
I don't feel any "Fear" towards you. You haven't made me open my doors.
To strongly reject the Nura siblings was also a way to rebel against Amezō and the rest, who have already been "conquered". Since the two are still growing, he doubted he would see them as anything but apprentices for quite some time, however… he still couldn't help but be overly conscious of the elder brother's presence.
'Show me.' Itaku raised his head and looked towards Rikuo. His mock battle with Awashima had happened to end at that point.
"Reira." The Kamaitachi stared down at the practice field where Rikuo was wiping off perspiration with the back of a sleeve, and said, "I only believe in what I see on the battlefield. It's only through battle would I be able to interact with him."
Reira inclined her head, her pink bangs moving along with the motion, "Okay, why not."
Itaku reached for a sickle on his back. "Please prepare an extra portion of honey lemons. They are most effective for relieving weariness."
He vacated the branch and descended onto the practice field soundlessly, calling out, "Rikuo! I'm up next!"
The quarter demon turned to face him, blinking, "Oh! Sure!"
Immediately, Itaku closed in on him and swung his sickle out with all his might. Rikuo was quick to back up, before letting out a whine, "Hey! That's too sudden!"
"If the opponent is a Kyōto yōkai, do you plan to say that too!?" Itaku chastised as he pulled out another sickle with his left hand, trapping his opponent on both sides and then slicing him in half.
However, it was just an illusion.
'Go with the grandson of Nurarihyon to Kyoto and fight together. Aren't you thinking about this now?' Akagappa's voice surfaced in his mind.
Itaku clicked his tongue and turned around swiftly. After determining Rikuo's position, he closed in once more. A fierce battle between sickle and stick ensued, both equally matched.
'I will follow this guy?'
'He will become my leader?'
Itaku swung his sickles around in a lethal dance, closing in on his opponent once again.
The Tōno yōkai are a mercenary group. As long as someone needed him and established a contract, he would need to move with that leader. The relationship between the two of them was straightforward, without the weight that came with exchanging Sakazuki. But, there had been cases where Tōno yōkai suffered a lot because they followed an incapable leader.
'Rikuo, I'm different from the others. I definitely won't allow you to open my doors!'
Itaku quickly reached behind him with his right hand and switched his metal-handled sickle for the one with a bamboo handle. 'I won't let you die in Kyōto. If you are going to die, then die on the practice arena of Tōno!'
"Rera Makiri!"
The sharp wind hit Rikuo's body and he was cut diagonally. The image wavered and then dispersed into thin air.
"Tsk." Even though he made a sound of annoyance, a smile still graced his face.
Kyōka Suigetsu is truly something.
"Way to go, Rikuo!" Amezō whistled from the side.
At that moment, Itaku felt an aura behind him and swiftly turned around, gaze honing in on Rikuo. Swinging the sickle in his left hand, he blocked an incoming strike from the wooden stick. However, he was met with zero resistance. He narrowed his eyes.
A decoy.
'Then the real body—' Distracting to pry open an opening, a tactic the boy is getting much better at the more he utilises it. A tactic that Retsu also absolutely abuses the hell out of. The both of them… their battle tactics are so very annoying.
"That's right! Maintaining Hatsu… That state should never be released during battle!" Itaku said, pleased that the other's constant Osore activation is steady as compared to his first day here. Without a word, Rikuo struck with his stick and he guarded with his sickles.
All the while, Retsu watched them with an unblinking keen gaze.
…
After her gum had stopped bleeding, Retsu was sent back into the fray while Rikuo swapped partners yet again. The Kamaitachi went back to his spectator's spot with Reira and Yukari.
She had been getting better at countering and liquifying Reira's ice attacks these days. With Amezō guiding her to set the arena to her liking and some more water-based battle tactics, she has improved by leaps and bounds. Itaku must admit that Retsu's learning speed is monstrous, and so is Rikuo's.
Barely a day has passed since they learnt the quickdraw technique and already, the time in which they both needed to charge up has been reduced. Although they were still unable to effectively use it in a high levelled battle just yet, they should have zero problems forcing their way out of a weaker demon's specialised territory should they need to.
It wasn't until Retsu went up against Dohiko did he realise there was a change in her fighting style. Her movements are beginning to bear some resemblance to that of female Awashima. Her blade cuts through the air with more grace—though it still packs a punch after a few rotations and occasional Osore-coated strikes— she's lighter on her feet, and her attack transitions are smoother and more connected.
Before, her offensive tactics were forward and ferocious like a beast. A clear and defined attack which lasts around ten or so strikes, after which, she would tend to draw back and or flounder. It was as though she ran out of follow-up attack ideas and suddenly had to come up with more on the spot. While it was already very ideal to be able to think of a few moves ahead, she would still need to go on the offensive and not let up even if those plans ran out. She has to hold out until a chance presents itself. This problem can only be solved by engaging in more combat situations and watching experienced fighters, so Itaku was not too concerned about it.
Especially since she's nearly mimicking a fish swimming in a stream now.
"By the way," Awashima said, eyeing the top of my head curiously during a small break, "How come your hair doesn't stick out like Rikuo's?"
I blinked and stopped drinking from my bamboo bottle for a moment, looking up at my bangs as though I could see the rest of my hair that way. "I tied it up, so it's not as obvious. But it does stick out during 'Defense' mode, and lie flat during 'Offense'."
"Why is that?"
I shrugged. "Beats me."
Awashima rubbed her chin, humming to herself. "Maybe it's a Hanyō thing?"
"Perhaps," It was now Rikuo's turn to shrug, using a sleeve to wipe away perspiration from his face. "The old man's bald now, so we can't confirm it anymore."
"But Ojii-chan's hairstyle won't change." I shook my head in negative. "We can't use him as an example."
Onii-chan gave me a stupefied look and I stared back at him through half-lidded eyes. "Our skulls are similar to that of humans, no? That's why it can stick up and lie flat, but Ojii-chan's hairstyle remained the same because the shape of his skull doesn't allow it to fall flat."
"…Oh," He said intelligently.
"Yeah."
Fresh out of the bath, Rikuo trudged through the dark and empty corridors of Akagappa's mansion, covering a jaw-dropping yawn with a hand as he rounded into the main hall, where a familiar huge pot sat.
That is his bed.
Initially, he was quite indignant since obviously, it was not a proper place for anyone to sleep in. However, he was quick to change his tune at the end of his second night here. The seemingly never-ending apprentice tasks and continuous battle practices had zapped both his mental and physical strength to the point where he held little care for where he slept. As long as he gets to rest, he is willing to sleep wherever.
Blearily clambering into the pot, he hugged his knees and rested his head upon the cool hard surface, eyelids steadily growing heavier and heavier by the second. Although he was exhausted, the satisfying feeling of having become stronger than yesterday, always allowed him to get a good night's sleep. Just then, Awashima's face flashed across the forefront of his mind and a feeling of gratitude washed over him. Even though the Amanojaku had only helped him clean the baths on a pure whim, he was still grateful, since it meant the things that needed to be done had been halved, and therefore, he saved up a little bit more energy.
Just as he was about to doze off, a series of light coughs cut through the groggy haze of his mind and immediately, he knew who it was. When he cracked open his eyes, sure enough, he was met with the blurry image of Tōno's resident Zashiki Warashi, Yukari, clinging to the edge of the pot. As his vision swam into focus after a few rapid blinks, he could see her large eyes peering back at him in amusement, a tiny smile on her face.
"Yukari?" Rikuo almost slurred out tiredly. "What is it? It's already late."
"Nothing. I heard that you sleep in a pot, so I just wanted to see." Yukari coughed softly, twice, and Rikuo briefly wondered if her occasional coughing had something to do with the cold temperature in Tōno.
"Well you've seen it, so you can go now—" He was cut off by a huge yawn, "You should go… to sleep soon too… I'm very tired right now…"
His eyelids involuntarily slide shut and although he had forced them open, they refused to cooperate, sliding close once again.
"Don't be so cold. I am a Zashiki Warashi, good fortune will come to you when you're with me."
"That's right… Zashiki Warashi's Osore can bring good fortune to others…"
"Rikuo, you're already half asleep," Yukari giggled and the soft sounds only served to make him drowsier.
Just before sleep took him, Rikuo stretched out his arm to lightly pat Yukari on the head, vaguely noting the soft and silky sensation of her hair beneath his fingertips. Retsu appeared in his mind for a split second and he wondered if his baby sister's hair was as soft as well before the thought faded away into darkness. He seemed to hear a whispered "Good night" in his ear before he finally fell asleep.
I leaned back into the stone bath, letting out a content sigh as I submerged myself up to my chin, closing my eyes in bliss. The heat of the water was just right and I can feel the strain in my muscles gradually evaporating just like the swirling steam. Yukari had surprisingly disappeared for a bit before our turn in the baths, perhaps she had forgotten something and went to fetch it. Reira is relaxing at one end, her impeccable Osore control protecting her from getting heatstroke while she enjoyed the luxury of a hot spring. After a couple of moments of relaxation, I cracked my eyes open a sliver to stare up at the indigo starry sky.
We are setting off for Kyōto soon.
Unwittingly, my foggy brain attempted to flit through the major events of Kyōto arc. Although I could no longer recall many specifics, some noteworthy events should still be doable… right? I will do what I had always done, and that is preparation.
'I know Seimei will be born. …But that's way too far off.' I blinked a few times, and shut my eyes once again, withholding a sigh. 'What went on in between?'
The major events of Kyōto arc, are the Capital demons' reclamation of their old territory, the destruction of the Spiral barrier of the Keikain Clan, and finally, the Nura Clan's invasion. However, these were mere basic information that anyone who kept their ears on the ground would have known. I'm going to need something a bit more exclusive, preferably advantages. Some bits and pieces of events would never deviate from Canon because they had to be accomplished no matter what, all I need to do is try and do damage control.
When we reach there, the Nura Clan would be joining hands with the Keikain Clan to reinstall the Keikain's spiral barrier. Once a seal is in place, it cannot be removed by any demons, all except the fox who is clad in human skin. By then, she would be too preoccupied with her son's resurrection and would not leave her castle. So we just need to clear a path long enough for the Keikains to redo the seal.
We can implement a strike-and-run sort of tactic while keeping our casualties and usage of our stamina down to the barest minimum. However, we would still need to pick off as many demons as we possibly could as we go, otherwise, they would just congregate at one spot, which is the final seal site, and it would be harder to break through their defences. Alright, now…
'How many seals were there again? Were there seven… or eight of them?' I groaned inwardly. My memory is getting blurry, and I think Ryūji even told us about it not too long ago when he came to call back Yura.
Amezō also reminded me of the existence of the Tengu of Mount Kurama, and subsequently his dealings with Gyūki. But Gyūki did not depart with us, he came to Kyōto later, so what happened that led to that point—
I opened my eyes and at that moment, my tiredness was fleetingly scattered, my face solemn.
Tsuchigumo.
Takarabune landed in a river of Kyōto and the Nura Clan set off on foot towards the first seal site from there, the Fushime Inari Shrine, following… Hakuzōzu's directions. The first seal was redone and then, Tsuchigumo showed up. After laying waste to everyone, Rikuo was taken away by Gyūki to train.
I rubbed my face tiredly.
In the original timeline, Meikyō Shisui and Kyōka Suigetsu were the only things he knew when he went to declare war. Rikuo's training preparation was already going a whole lot better than in Canon. There is very little I could do now, given the time constraint. The rest is truly up to Rikuo himself and our sheer dumb luck.
As for my own training… I try not to think about it too much. Ready or not, we will be heading to the West. I did everything I could to the best of my ability, so like with my brother, all that is left to do is to remember my training and wing it.
'What exactly did Gyūki take my brother away for?' I frowned, mentally rummaging and shaking the dusty files in the corner of my mind that were housing my old memories. 'Was it Matoi?'
I cannot remember anyone from the main house ever mentioning this around me before, so I sincerely doubt I was even supposed to know of its existence. Also, Rikuo had first 'equipped' Zen, and the crane demon is currently back in the Kanto region. Chewing my bottom lip, I mulled things over carefully. 'Should I leave it as things are and simply just… let Gyūki take care of it?'
Then, the Nura Clan will suffer a devastating defeat at the hands of Tsuchigumo. Was there a plausible way to shake him off?
… I can't think of anything.
He will seek us out even if we somehow managed to avoid him for the moment. As long as there are strong opponents and or contenders, he will seek us out and hunt us all down. That spider demon is a huge pain.
We need a plan to deal with him. …But what?
I gritted my teeth. There honestly wasn't much planning I could do in the face of sheer power that could blow any strategies out of the water with one mighty swing. The fox and that spider are two of those. Kyōto arc… is well and truly just a wing-it situation and hoping for the best.
'Was that seriously all we could do?'
And the Nura Clan just dove headfirst into this hopeless war with Rikuo in Canon, just like that? It looks like I owe them all a goddamn giant medal for doing this without an ounce of hesitancy and regard for their lives. I huffed a soft laugh of disbelief, letting the futile plannings go for today.
There is another thing I needed to work on as well, and that is Amezō's advice on having something lighthearted as the main goal instead of the actual battle. After pondering for a while, a small smirk graced my lips when I recalled a certain Onmyōji's warning, something about not feeding us Nurarihyon even if we come.
Annoying Ryūji… That sounded fun.
Then I recalled one of the Keikain Clan's side branches' downfall within a single night and immediately sobered up. It would be best to steer clear of Onmyōji in general for now. At least, until the fox issue has settled. I have no idea when that problem would come and bite me in the ass.
A sigh left my lips. I know it was not directly my fault, since the order came from the fox herself. Besides, Kyōto would have landed in the clutches of the demons sooner or later, with or without my interference. Honestly, my mission that night had only helped hasten their invasion process by merely a few hours. Given the fact that I could so easily take them all down at the age of six, they are not that strong. They may be able to survive the invasion for a while, but... they probably wouldn't make it past the war fully intact.
But I doubt the people related to them would want to hear anything I have to say should they find out anyway. I brushed those thoughts away for now.
What will be my "main goal?"
It would be best if it was something that can pass the time too. Trying some delicacies? I did kind of miss some of the food in Kyōto.
Sightseeing? What are some good tourist spots apart from the boring shrines? There weren't many sights I haven't already seen in the capital due to my months-long stay there. Shopping? I have plenty of toys I could ever want back home, and clothes that could be tailor-made for me as long as I asked for them. There… honestly wasn't much I wanted.
Oh yeah, didn't I promise Ojii-chan to go to an amusement park together a while back? I believe there is a USJ in Osaka. If he's interested, maybe we could go there. Since it's summer, I'm also craving kakigori… and other festival food, perhaps we should hit the beach too, it's been a while since we last went. I wonder what festivals will be held in the surrounding prefectures? Oh, and I think the Tanabata festival is coming up… I should look into it.
A flurry of cherry blossoms danced in the soft breeze, coating the grass by the foot of the ancient Sakura tree a lovely pink. Within its majestic branches, a pair of glowing crimson eyes peered back at me.
The red-eyed baby—no. I blinked. This is yōkai Retsu, my night form.
Her lips curled into a half-smile, half-smirk, so similar to my brother's yet more playful and sharp at the same time. She looked sleepy, as though she had just woken up from a long and deep slumber, which she most likely had. When she spoke, her tone was light and airy. "It's been a while, hm?"
"Two years, I think," I said, watching her closely.
Her smile grew wider, waving a hand to gesture around us, humming a pleased sound. "I really like it here, we should visit more often."
"Here?" I questioned in mild confusion, before realising her meaning. "Tōno no Sato?"
Sharp red eyes made contact with round pear-green ones. "You felt it too, don't you?"
Of course I did. It was comfortable here, absolutely rejuvenating.
She tilted her head curiously, jet-black bangs falling into her face with the motion as she narrowed her eyes, studying me. "Oh? She's still here?"
I tensed. "Who?"
Demon Retsu only arched her brows, expression solemn. "Who else?"
I looked around, but there wasn't anyone here except for the two of us. Then, I had an inkling. A small stab of guilt hits me and I lowered my gaze, fiddling with my fingers.
… I know… 'Retsu' was never supposed to be so… emotionally oriented, at least, not to this extent. Rikuo, for sure, was not. Overthinking, excessive worrying, anxiousness, paranoia and… bitter grief, demons rarely feel a wide range of emotions that I do on a near-weekly basis. Perhaps on special occasions, they might. Since, for lack of a better term, they are generally more cold-blooded.
Our merge had been a little hasty, though it was for good reason. It was also fairly normal for an older soul to overwhelm the younger one but—
No.
That's not it. Not exactly. She was weak, so very weak. There was no way she would have more control had 'I' just simply—
… Jun, or rather, 'human Retsu' had clung onto the remaining small fragment of her soul, an adult. Desperate for a semblance of comfort and stability our father could no longer provide. That our family and clan were not around to give. That… my own demon form was unable to fill in, just like the terrified and lonely human child we once were.
Two parts of a soul, one demon and the other human. The former went into a deep slumber and so, 'I' subconsciously sought out the nearest thing to replace the empty spot the other part of me had left behind. One that was readily available.
Memories and the consciousness of our previous life should have faded when Nura Retsu turned a year old, just like all reincarnated souls do. And I— Retsu, Jun— without realising, we held on even after the immediate threat, the brainwash and the escape from Kyōto, was all said and done. …Or perhaps it was also accurate to say that my inability to be on my own made her worry and she lingered.
But… we are no longer lonely. With the Nura Clan by our side, we are not terrified anymore, and with two parts of our souls finally reuniting after a long time—
"No need to worry so much about our upcoming visit to the West." She smiled almost sinisterly, the white gleam of her teeth showing a smidge. "When all else fails, we still have an older brother to chuck at them."
She descended from the Sakura tree with a graceful leap, seemingly hovering in mid-air before me. Her long jet-black hair swayed in the breeze and a captivating smile curled at the corner of her lips as her face drew closer towards mine. A sharp gust of wind blew, muffling the words she uttered then and I blinked slowly. Nonetheless, I knew her intentions.
A wispy mist leaves my mouth with one breathy sign, taking with it a good chuck of something heavy from my body. The last thing I saw before the scene faded away—as my eyes slipped close—was my night form's glowing crimson eyes. Beautiful, playful, powerful and everything that is familiar and safe.
…
"So… rest."
The crisp air of the forest and Osore-saturated surroundings greeted me when I woke up, feeling a whole lot more refreshed than I had ever felt in a long time. The thick blanket of my futon rustled as I sat up. Stretching my arms high above my head, I drew in a deep breath and let out a jaw-dropping yawn. Blinking blearily, I turned my head towards the shōji doors, where the first of the sun's rays are attempting to sneak in.
My gaze slides back down to my hands, where faint callouses had formed, the skin rougher. I clenched and unclenched them before looking around the guest room, quickly spotting a familiar cloth demon wrapped around the rafters.
A smile made its way onto my face.
Author's note:
I finally updated! TTATT Although I'm still a bit iffy about the story flow. *sighs*
I've incorporated some parts only found in the Novel into this chapter. I added them because the entire story felt off when I attempted to skip it. So yeah, they had to be included. They are from the second Book of the Light Novels series, "Tōno Travel-log".
I made some references from a fan-translated English version to save up some time—I believe it is still somewhere on this site, do give it a read if you're interested :)—and also my hardcopy Chinese version. (Yes, I bought all 4 of them for reference) :P Google translate had been a great help but it was not always reliable—sometimes the results they gave me were either downright hilarious, or it made me wanna hurl blood—and consulted my mom on occasion.
The tone and structure of the novels are, of course, completely different from my fanfic works, so I had to rewrite most of the structures to fit into my story better. Hence, this chapter ate up a lot of time there.
Thank you all very much for your patience, love, encouragement and support, I truly cannot express how much these meant to me! We are now at 628 Favourites and 673 Follows! X3
Feel free to follow me on Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter. I've posted some artwork on Belladonna and other anime fan art there. I still haven't finished updating my Insta and Twitter though, I'm trying. TTATT Username: kirakirabluemoon
Current members:
•Amefurikozō (Ame)
•Sunekosuri (Neko)
•Tozen (bow Tsukumogami)
•Uwan (the bush)
•Kogane no Gyōza (Koi fish)
•Saki (Flower Ayakashi)
•Fūri (blue fur with leopard patterns)
•Enenra (smoke yōkai)
•Umizatō (the blind one)
-Sazae-oni (clan member)
•Ittan-Momen (cloth Tsukumogami)
•Kameosa (jug Tsukumogami)
•Hidama (small fire bird)
•Yūga (wolf yōkai)
-Kōga [Clan Head, father of Yūga and Ryōga]
-Kiba [childhood friend]
-Ryōga [younger brother]
•Suzu (maneki-neko)
•Kirin (Sunny)
•Kyō (computer-dwelling spirit)
•Menreiki (Gigaku mask Tsukumogami)
•Shizuka (miasma butterfly)
•HoneOnna (bone spirit)
~kirakira_bluemoon