Chapter Three
Disclaimer:
Hi this time I'm doing the disclaimer (I'm Stars-chan's co-author). Anyway nothing special to say, we don't own Nurarihyon no mago because it belongs to Shiibashi-sensei.
"Rikuo?" Nurarihyon tapped lightly on Rikuo's door. Receiving no reply, he slid the door open and saw Rikuo staring contemplatively at the sakura tree. Nurarihyon worriedly went over to stand beside his grandson. "Rikuo, are-" he began, afraid that Rikuo still couldn't accept his "father's" rejection.
"Don't worry, Grandpa," Rikuo said suddenly, turning around. "He was an impostor. I'm fine." Nurarihyon studied Rikuo's face closely. "Are you sure…?" he asked, still uncertain.
"Yes," Rikuo said, without hesitation. He looked past his grandfather into the garden with a determined look on his face. "I was wrong to ever believe that impostor could have been my father." The darkening sky shadowed Rikuo's face as he underwent the transformation into his youkai form.
"I will expose him."
xxxxxx
After being led away from the garden, Kurotabou and Kubinashi had brought him to an old unused storeroom and had stayed in silence near the door ever since. Rihan hadn't wanted to disturb them so he'd sat cross-legged on a zabuton (1) and had used the time to organize his thoughts.
He hadn't made much progress when Kenjorou had come into the room to give them food. She had been just as cold towards him as the others so he'd refrained from flirting with her. All this seriousness was killing him - he couldn't relax, as if he was in a battle. First the pointing and gaping, then the questioning, and now an imprisonment. When could he let loose and act more like himself, without worrying about what might happen?
It was all that old man's fault. Rihan was sure he'd snuck in while he'd been wandering and brainwashed everyone into thinking he was an impostor of all things. That was probably why he'd acted so serious - seeing familiar faces turn towards him with hostile expressions must've put him off. And that bastard had the nerve to do it so soon after his wi - Rihan cut himself off.
A small youkai, almost as if on cue, poked its head into the room and addressed him. "The Supreme Commander wishes to see you." Rihan, after unwittingly reminding himself of his wife, had become miserable and didn't move. When he took too long to get up, Kurotabou grabbed his arm and roughly hauled him to his feet. "Come on." Rihan offered no resistance, and allowed himself to be ushered out. The short journey was uneventful even with the curious youkai peeking at them from out of their rooms and ceilings. Rihan paid no attention to his surroundings until Kubinashi and Kurotabou stopped. An imposing set of doors stood before them, and Rihan knew instinctively that they led to a long room with red walls - the main meeting room.
Kubinashi jerked his head in the direction of the doors. "Go in."
Rihan glanced at him annoyed. Since when could his subordinates order him around? Then he remembered it was probably that old bastard's doing, so Kubinashi wasn't to blame. He slowly slid the door open and stepped inside. There, he saw the old man occupying the spot reserved for the clan leader - the spot he usually sat in.
Screw seriousness and what they thought of him, he'd insult this baldy as much as he wanted. It was stupid to be afraid of him anyway. Before he could say anything, however, he became aware that another person was in the room. They were leaning against the wall, in the darkest corner of the room. Rihan couldn't see their face.
Suddenly he noticed the air growing denser, and an underlying current of painfully familiar fear made its way towards him. 'It can't be!' He snapped his gaze onto the old man and froze. The familiar fear, Nurarihyon's fear was coming from him?
"You're Nurarihyon!" Rihan spluttered.
Nurarihyon raised an eyebrow. " So you finally admit I'm Nurarihyon," he said, slightly surprised. "Perhaps I should've used my fear earlier."
"But you - you're so old and ugly!" Rihan was having trouble taking it in. If this old shrimp was really his father then…then what the hell was going on?
Nurarihyon decided to play along. "I've been this old for a while." he said, ignoring the ugly bit. Perhaps the impostor would spill some information if he let him talk. He let his fear dissipate into the background to make him feel more at ease. "Why do you find that strange?" he asked attentively.
"Because it's disturbing to have such an ugly father…and you were much better looking a week ago... What did you do to yourself!" And what if I grow up to look like him! Rihan thought, horrified.
Nurarihyon gritted his teeth. "A week?" he inquired sharply, deciding not to let the man's rudeness distract him from his questioning.
Rihan didn't see what was so significant. "Yeah gramps, a week." Maybe he'd lost his hearing as well as his good looks.
So the impostor had met a younger version of himself less than a week ago? Nurarihyon didn't know what to make of that. Everyone knew what he looked like now, so it didn't make much sense for someone to masquerade as his younger self…much less to do it in order to trick this 'Rihan'. In fact, his impostor and rival clan theories were seeming less and less likely to be true. 'Perhaps,' he thought with intense apprehension, 'this isn't an impostor at all?' He immediately quelled the thought, but the damage had been done …he had to make sure.
Fortunately he knew of a fool-proof test - matoi.
"If you wish to prove you're really Rihan, then perform matoi - fear layering" he stated, taking Rihan by surprise. Not only was the subject change unexpected, but the shrivelled old prune - he refused to acknowledge such a hideous thing as his father - was finally giving him a proper chance to prove he wasn't an impostor!
But before Rihan could respond, a deep voice emanated from the corner of the room, "Matoi?" it asked, as the owner of the voice moved out of the shadows. Rihan stared. 'Another Nurarihyon!' he thought, stupefied. As if one of them wasn't enough!
Nurarihyon - the ugly one - was staring at him in amusement. The crazy old man probably found it insanely funny to trick people with this new multiplication ability. An impatient movement from the younger, much better looking Nurarihyon prompted him to answer the question.
"Matoi is a technique where a human-youkai hybrid allows the human part to be possessed by a member of his Hyakki Yakou," the old shrimp explained. "It was created by your father," he said, glancing at Rihan, then Rikuo, "but you should be able to use it too, Rikuo."
Rihan, who had been listening proudly to Nurarihyon's explanation of his awesome technique, stiffened. Since when was he a father?
"But I don't have a son," Rihan said, confused. Rikuo froze. His expression hadn't changed but Nurarihyon knew that phrase had hurt him. Now he was regretting giving this impostor another chance - the real Rihan wouldn't have said such a thing - but it was too late to take it back. Instead he narrowed his eyes at 'Rihan' and flared his fear as a warning. Rihan took the hint - the old man's ugliness made him much scarier than his father had been - and changed the subject. "I'll perform it if you get someone to do it with me," he offered. Nurarihyon nodded his assent, "Rikuo, go call Kurotabou. He can perform it with-"
"Let me do it." Rikuo interrupted.
Rihan and Nurarihyon turned towards him with identical expressions of surprise. "Rikuo!" Nurarihyon exclaimed sharply, "It's too dangerous; this man could-"
"I know, gramps." Rikuo cut in once again. "Just let me do it."
Nurarihyon shook his head. "You're only a quarter youkai, Rikuo. We don't know what could happen; it's only ever been performed with full youkai."
Rikuo looked his grandfather in the eye determinedly. "I won't change my mind. Let me do it."
Rihan butted in before Nurarihyon could do anything, "You've got to be kidding me. There's no way I'm gonna risk doing matoi with someone who's not a full youkai - if it goes wrong that old man'll kill me!"
Rikuo turned to Rihan, "I'll take full responsibility if something goes wrong." he said, addressing both him and his grandfather.
His grandfather looked at him sharply, "If something goes wrong," he said, "you may not be able to take responsibility, Rikuo."
"I'm aware of that." Rikuo responded hotly. " But it's not your decision. I'm not a child anymore."
"Hey old man, just let him do it. He's willing to take responsibility and he's obviously determined so there's no point arguing," Rihan said quickly before Nurarihyon could reply. Rikuo couldn't help but feel grateful to him.
Nurarihyon sighed. Although he wasn't at all happy at letting Rikuo anywhere near this stranger, he was right - it was time he stopped being so overprotective. The recent encounter with Tamazuki had proven that Rikuo was able to look after himself.
"Alright," he finally said.
Rikuo smiled in satisfaction. "Thanks, gramps." He then stepped towards Rihan, looking at him confidently. "I'm ready."
(1) A Japanese cushion used for sitting.
Author's notes: What's this, a surprise update randomly in the middle of the week? XD
Anyway, Allen and I majorly rewrote this chapter after she read Chapter 148 of the manga (somehow, she managed to miss it. I don't know how lol) and it raised the 'coolness level' of Rihan by a few notches, so we had to rewrite this chapter and make him cooler XD
Allen: Of course we had to, he sounded so boring before XD And having Kurotabou matoi with Rihan would've been insanely boring too, so Rikuo's gonna do it instead :D
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Thanks for reading, R&R please :D