Me: Hello, fellow FanFiction perusers.

Night Rikuo: Oh, great. And just when we thought you had been sucked into a black hole and wouldn't be able to finish the story.

Me: Are you kidding? Rikuo still has a whole night of yokai-fighting to do!

Rikuo: Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

Me: I'm glad to see that I'm being very, very serious.

Yuki Onna: Well, that's a first.

Me: I know, right? Anyway, I don't own Nurarihyon.

Yura: You don't update nearly regularly enough to ever be the creator of anything.

Me: Okay, now that was just harsh.

*Everyone high-fives Yura*

Me: Glad to have your support guys.

Yuki Onna raced through the kitchen, making the iced tea and coffee in record time. Not that anyone would ever know. When she finally had the beverages dispersed in just enough cups, she leaned against the kitchen counter. Now what? She wondered, blowing her bangs up out of her eyes. I definitely don't want to go back there any time soon, but Rikuo needs me!

Just thinking of going back to the once abandoned room just at the end of the hallway sent shivers up Yuki Onna's spine. The only reconciling factor was that she had been in her yokai form. If she had been Tsurara, well, who knows what could have happened?

Suddenly, one of the cups tipped over. Yuki Onna nearly screamed, watching it fall to the ground in slow motion. Exhaling sharply, she blew out her patented ice cold breath, just catching the cup in a cozy, snow-type embrace. Yuki Onna picked up, put it back on the tray with the other cups, then let her ice-breath melt to the ground.

"I think you are going to need a broom."

This time, Yuki Onna did scream, but her mouth was soon covered by a tan, somewhat hairy hand. "Hey, I am just trying to help!"

Yuki Onna turned around and faced Gyuki. Half his face was covered by his long, greasy hair, but Yuki Onna could see a hint of concern in his one revealed eye. A sight she had been sure that she would never see.

"Gyuki!" A hint of a smile appeared upon the yokai's face. Then, as soon as it had appeared, it went away again.

"What were you doing? Did you want to get killed?"

"Killed?" Yuki Onna exclaimed. "We're in the Supreme Commander's house! They can't kill me here!"

Gyuki looked around, then asked, "There is another, rogue yokai here right now, is there not?"

Yuki Onna started. He was right. Kazeshima. With an unaligned yokai loose in the manor, it could be a free-for-all. "B-But the Supreme Commander's here, too. It's not like he would let anything happen right under his nose, right?"

Gyuki sighed. "The Supreme Commander relies on his clan members to not sabotage him. It is that way with every leader. You place trust in your allies, but if they turn, then what kind of leader can you be?"

Yuki Onna looked down. "So many clan members oppose Rikuo, but he's a brilliant leader." Yuki Onna glared up at Gyuki. "He's just as good as any yokai, if not better!"

"You are speaking to the choir, Yuki Onna," Gyuki sighed. "Rikuo-sama has proven himself to me. Before then, however, I was sided with Hitotsume." Smiling, he whispered something else.

"Huh?" Yuki Onna asked. Gyuki leaned over, so that Yuki Onna could feel his breath on her ear.

"That is why I know how to defeat this plan."

...

Yura stood outside a paper doorway, taking in the massive yokai aura that was protruding from it. Inside was a yokai of awesome power. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle it all by herself.

I am a great omnyoji, she reminded herself. Master of shinigami and offspring of the Keikain group. No yokai on this planet can stop me!

"Yura! I found you!" Yura jumped, ready to attack as she swiveled around to face Nura.

"Nura, although I do not appreciate your presence, I feel as though people just keep sneaking up on others in this house. How is it that your family never seems to make a sound when approaching?"

Rikuo sighed. It looked like he wouldn't be able to win his way with Yura tonight. Suddenly, Yura was staring at him, her nose centimeters from his. "Nura, what happened to your yokai aura? Nothing of that magnitude could just disappear!"

Rikuo brushed the back of his head. "What yokai aura? I keep telling you, Yura, I'm a completely normal hu-"

"THIRD HEIR, RIKUO NURA!"

Rikuo's face fell. Well, now, that just killed everything, didn't it! Rikuo couldn't believe that his Night Form had the gall to make a sarcastic remark when everything was crumbling in around him.

Yura hit Rikuo with a pointed glare. "Um, he must be talking about my third chest hair! I just got it yesterday. Though, how he knows that, I really don't want to know."

Keikain rolled her eyes. "Like I said, Rikuo Nura, we will talk about this later."

"Yeah, how about we exorcise that thing, first?" Rikuo pointed toward the paper door, where a black shadow was slowly filling in the white. Kazeshima hadn't been that big when Rikuo had fought him. How was that possible?

"Nura, you'd better run. You do not want to get hurt."

Rikuo shook his head. "No way, Yura. I can't just leave you here all alone to face a yokai!"

"I'm an omnyoji. It is my job to purify all yokai and not allow anyone to get hurt. That includes you, whether you are yokai or not." Yura turned, taking three shinigami papers out of her pocket. "But don't worry. If you are, in fact, a yokai, I'll be sure to purify you later."

Rikuo scrunched his brow. "Geez, thanks."

"Now, come out yokai, so that I can set your soul to rest!" Yura widened her stance, bending her knees.

"You know, I think I"m gonna have to pass on that one," the shadow replied from behind the door. "However, if you would kindly leave the young lord and myself alone for just five minutes, I'd be glad to come out and face you then."

"Unacceptable." Yura didn't even hesitate.

The shadow remained calm. "Well, then, I'll just stay in here."

Yura remained unfazed. "I will come in to get you if you do not come out. I do not wish to ruin the Nura house, but I will if you force my hand!"

"You can come in if you wish, but I'll be gone before you can even scratch me. Really, I will get my audience with Rikuo Nura, the Third Heir, at some point. Whether you hinder me or not, which would get me really angry, by the way, is totally up to you. Let me must warn you that my quarrel is not with you. Yet."

Rikuo stepped in front of Yura. "Nura, you cannot go in there!"

Rikuo smiled. "Glad to know that you still care a little about me Yura. Now, I don't want you to get hurt on my account. Don't worry; I can take care of myself for five minutes."

Yura took a step back. All of a sudden, every aspect of Rikuo had changed. He was still the same old Rikuo that she knew from school, but his composure, his very tone of voice had changed. He had become more forceful, very unlike the happy, pleaser of a kid back at school. Maybe he is keeping secrets from me, after all.

Yura sighed. "It is your choice, Nura-kun. I will be right out here, underneath this cherry blossom tree. You have exactly five minutes."

Rikuo smiled. "Thank you, Yura!" The omnyoji's eyes widened. She had never seen such a shift in personalities. One minute, he was commanding, the next, he was just like a little kid.

Meanwhile, Rikuo wasn't sure where he stood with Yura. One minute, she was going to exorcise him. Then, when he volunteered to face a yokai, she was all concerned about his health.

Either way, you are so done if you don't let me out, Night Rikuo interrupted. Rikuo walked forward, pushing aside the paper door.

"We shall see about that. I still have a few pranks left in me yet."

Me: Okeedokee. The chapter's done, and the story is about to hit its climax! The next chapter won't be the last, but there's going to be a big battle scene soon, and then we'll get to see who's really on Rikuo's side. Until next time...

Hitotsume: REVIEW!

Me: You heard the villain. And that was totally not against his will!

Hitotsume: She has me tied to a television screen, and I feel like my eye's burning!