Gintama is owned by the one and only Hideaki Sorachi-sensei, and Nurarihyon no Mago by Hiroshi Shibashii-sensei.

Chapter V: Sense

The leaves of the sakura tree fell like feathers from its branches. Slowly, they colored the brown earth with the gentle color of pink.

"Kirei na?", The boy was dancing merrily under the raining petals.

"Hai!" The little girl smiled wildly. A smile of innocence. She then gladly watched the boy as he bathed himself with the pink petals.

The girl then looked at her back, eager to call more of her kind to enjoy the scenery. "Oi!"

That was when she saw that it was not a bed of pink that blanketed the earth anymore.

It was red, red, red blood.

And it came from the boy.

"An omnyoji?". The man who spoke had weird markings on his face, his eyes pointed at their own ends, like the eyes of a traditional Egyptian drawing.

Reiya nodded.

"An omnyoji attacking the supreme commander in the middle of the day…". This time, it was a slender but muscular man who spoke, his deep voice a perfect match for his ferocious eyes. His green hair was a bit a tousled. "Just when we taught we've had enough of Abe no Seimei.".

"Zen, this is no time to be fed up. For the clan of Nura, this is only a normal thing. We have been a striking force for centuries. It is only natural for us to have enemies—even on a daily basis.

The man named Zen could not help but only shake his head. "It's just that I'm growing sick of my wife's taunting." He then goes on a high-pitched voice, imitating his wife. "Nani? Some youkai's injured again?! Hmp! You're just making an excuse not to take care of our children! 'Ttaku…put your selves in my place. Let's see if you will not be tempted to just use the Osore of Deafness."

Reiya could not help but smirk. "Always the funny man, Zen."

Zen smiled. "Glad to be of service."

"Well, what shall we do with the damned omnyoji? Shall we torture him?"

"Hitotsume, I daresay we take cautious actions. With the osore I used, I doubt he'll wake up till night comes.", said Reiya, taking a sip of her tea. "Nevertheless, we shall take all means necessary to obtain information from him. Ah…stupid enemies, that is why they should never send a weakling…What happens next is us obtaining some information from the poor emissary."

The superiors of the Nura Clan could only stare at their 5th master, and for the first time, a woman master. Just like her father, the 2nd, and Nurarihyon, their mistress was a leader who had just supreme confidence over her decisions, at the same time, a complete trust on them, her subordinates. She was also playful, in the sense that she loved to conduct mind games when it comes to her next move—mysterious and unpredictable. Yet what made her unique was her predisposition about humans. Unlike the first three supreme commanders, she always made it a point to remind the clan to be wary of the extent to which humans can cross the borderline. Nura Reiya was perhaps, the most careful supreme commander they have ever followed. Her predecessors had been risk-takers. But she was different. She tends to read the enemy's next move. As if each battle was a game, she had trump cards under her sleeves, cards that contain different strategies. Even if Plan A fails, the mistress never worries. There was Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, Plan E…It was as if she could read perfectly the mind of the enemy. What was more was her sadist side. If she was careful in her decisions, she was also careful in defeating the enemy, making him or her suffer first before ending him or her.

"De, where is my dearest worrywart father?"

"Koko ni iru ze, ore no musume-sama.", Reiya felt a muscular arm surround her neck, pulling her close to an extremely handsome man who wore a blue kimono, looking amused at the turn of the meeting's events. His white hair protruded in a weird way. Reiya remembered asking his late great grandfather why the hell did all the Nura heads had protruding hairs. Nurarihyon only laughed at her little granddaughter, pointing at the beehive shape of his head, saying that their heads were really shaped up that way, this the reason for the weird hair. The little mistress clutched her own hair frantically, as if expecting that it might protrude that way any moment. Still, it was undeniable that his father was a woman's heart breaker. Many demons have attempted to seduce him, yet the gallant Sandaime would never let his virtues get tainted. He found her soon to be wife, got married, and Reiya as the result of their love.

The superiors stood up and bowed. "Welcome back, Ex-Supreme Commander." Reiya looked smug, and his face portrayed a daughter not the least excited for his father's return.

"Maa, okaeri. Chichiue."

"So, have you found a man yet?"

"I am not going to marry."

"EHHHHH?!"

"Aren't you even going to ask about Nenekimaru?"

"Oh. So, have you found Nenekimaru yet?"

Reiya sighed. "Iia. But we fished a good bait."

"He was no match for Reiya-sama!", Miru excitedly exclaimed.

"Oh…otsukare, Rei-chan."

"Ah."

Nura Rikuo cleared out her throat. "Well, my dear Nura family. I have just come to announce to you that yes, a new generation of villain omnyojis are coming our way."

"Er…we kind of know that already.", Reiya said bluntly.

"But this time, it belongs to a clan of omnyojis known as the Gomi clan.", Nura Rikuo continued, ignoring his daughter's retort.

"Gomi clan?", a huge, burly man asked. "But that doesn't mean—garbage?"

"Lamest House name I've ever heard.", a man's floating head spoke as it trailed counterclockwise in retort.

"Maybe it has some deeper meaning into it.", a monk-clad man dressed in all black further commented, seriousness spread on his face. "Isn't it that a name can be used to protect one's life from evil spirits?"

"Then they just chose a very lame name to protect themselves, Kurotabou.", a woman with an extremely long hair replied.

"Maa, Karasu Tengu, I leave the patrol to you.", said Reiya, determined to abruptly end a forthcoming discussion about such a lame name. "Minna, just be alert. Ah sou. It also appears to me despite theit lame name, I take it that they would be not lame enough to lamely stole the demon sword and expect to defeat us. Which means—"

The council had gone silent.

"Nenekimaru. The Demon-Slaying sword. It will not be enough to defeat us. Unless—"

"You combine it with another powerful sword.", at this, the Third took out the famous pipe, the pipe his grandfather had stolen from the father of his would-be wife, Yo-Hime. Lighting it, Nura Rikuo smoked the dainty piece of wood. Reiya remembered the man she met earlier. She then looked at the Council.

"The city of Kabuki-chou. Sou, a city of a motley crowd—thugs, thieves, gangster police, freelancers, aliens—such an interesting."

"Massaka, that is the reason why you have suddenly applied for a part-time job in a convenience store on that weird city!", Karasu-Tengu croaked.

"E.", Reiya nodded. "And it is that interesting place to hold an interesting sword.

Nura Rikuo smoked his pipe once again. The smell of tobacco enveloped the room.
It was then that he spoke in a deep voice.

"Benizakura."

***
The Amanto slammed the box and shoved it right to Takasugi's face. The beastly man did not seem to mind it at all as he continued his habit of smoking with his pipe.

"And this is-", he said in an inquiring voice.

"Payment."

"Payment for what?"

"Don't play games with me, leader of Kihentai—Shinsuke Takasugi." The Amanto was a woman, her skin the color of a blinding neon blue. The color alone hurt one's eyes that Takasugi had been looking out of the window of the vast mansion where he was called in, not to mention that he woman made toads look like princesses. "We know that you have taken hold of this—"

It was then that she brought out the picture of a sword.

Ah, so that's it. This is what's all the fuss about.

The sword had the sinister color of sakura, and yet it did not even emit a gentle brilliance of the famed petals. It was just—too crimson. Like a color of murder and thirst. There was no question at all.

Takasugi tried hard to suppress his smile. The beast in his chest, it was howling again. An impending carnage.

He then remembered the bunch of men who had sealed a deal to their extremist group a month ago. They were all clad in white, their faces, and yet Takasugi knew what they are. And their identity only made it vaguer, the fact that their kind would approach a feared underground rebel group.

Omnyojis sealing a deal with the Extremist Joui. Money was the only entity that was closest to the missing link to make out the sense out of it. They needed an unlimited supply for armaments. That was normal. The Omnyojis were ready to pay trillions. Who ever imagined that a bunch of exorcists would be that rich? That was absurd. Unless they had sealed a million powerful demons in their lives.
All of that for the obtainment of one sword.

That made less sense. No, unless they craved for power. But power for what? To defeat the Amanto? Since when did the extermination of Amanto became a priority for these weaklings who spent all their lives inside the temples while Edo got ravaged with bombs and ammunitions?

They said that it was a demon-slaying sword, and they needed it badly to protect Edo. Protect Edo? What dangers could pose a bigger threat than the alien species themselves, the destroyer Amanto?
That was when they brought out another picture. This time, it did not bear the picture of another weapon.

"To protect this city—"

Takasugi took hold of the picture.

The first thing that caught hold of his attention was her eyes. It was if they were alive, penetrating deep into his soul. No, more than that, it was her smile. A mischievous smile. A smile of such intrigue.

"From this woman. Nura Reiya. Queen of a Hundred Demons. Mistress of Pandemonium."

The man had removed his hood, and on his forehead was carved the symbol: Gomi.

"Sou. A demon."

Takasugi was hardly listening to the lengthy explanations of the Amanto woman.

The cold voice spoke from the memories of that night.

Your soul. I want it…

Takasugi burst out laughing.

It all made perfect sense now.