Master and Yokai
Wah, I feel tired! The play arc being dragged on for a long time is gonna get boring. So I had to do a little time skip so we can all move on with our lives. It's back to focus on mostly yokai and hiding to my reviewers and/or just readers, I really want to thank you for reading and giving me feedback.
I may or may not follow the manga to the current arc that reveals his identity. I really want to see that happen, but I'm afraid it would conflict with this. You readers can vote on whether I should do the 100 Tales arc.
Reviews:
Yu-na milan: It's funny? Oh good, I was worried that it wouldn't be. I also realized the bit at the end of the chapter was short. I should have made it longer but I was tired and I wanted to finish it that night. Rihan gotta build back those muscles! He'll be unfit for being leader of the clan otherwise.
FeuWitch: Despite all those mistakes they had, it still somehow became successful. Nurarihyon would probably prefer being glomped by Youhime. Oh, he did eat that mysterious liver, but it wasn't enough to keep him young. What's going to happen now is probably what happens in the manga with changes and other stuff added in aside from the manga. That was confusing huh? Well, you'll see.
DestinyWitch: Thank you for your review :D Unfortunately they won't be at school for a while but they'll go back eventually. It might just be this chapter and a few others that they won't be; it depends on whatever I have in store for them.
Disclaimer: I don't own Nurarihyon no Mago.
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Chapter 8 Yokai and Humans
The main house was holding a meeting with big wigs of the clan to discuss future matters of the yokai world and the Nura clan. Everyone was getting prepared for the meeting, hustling back and forth from the kitchen to the meeting house. Rikuo had a talk with his yokai counterpart. 'I guess this meeting will involve matters regarding the Hagoromo Gitsune incident... I heard that we have about a year at most to prepare for the battle with Nue...'
'Yeah... Nue... He's a frightening character... Did you sense his power? It's way out of our league!'
'If you sensed it, I sensed it.'
'We're going to need some serious training... We haven't even exchanged sakazuki with a hundred demons yet! So far we got about... One... Two...'
'About ten maybe...'
'Yeah, somewhere around there... THAT'S ONLY ABOUT A TENTH! You need to step up on your game!"
'HEY! Don't blame it solely on my half! Besides, we're the same person! Well, while we try to recruit yokai to aid us against Nue, maybe they'll exchange sakazuki with us.'
'Gotta prove them your strength first.'
'Oi! That's your job! You're supposed to handle the yokai side while I handle the humans! Ugh, first thing in the morning, and we're already arguing...'
'I thought you'd be used to this by now.'
'... Aren't we supposed to get along?'
'We should. So let's just end this here. Meeting will start in about an hour, be prepared. I can't come out until night fall. So... Have fun!'
'You will help me, right?'
'Yes, yes. I'll be the cheerleader in your head. Wait... That doesn't sound right...'
'Haha haha haha.'
'Oi! You shouldn't be laughing! Just go...' Rikuo left his room after washing up and changing into appropriate attire. He walked into the room where Nurarihyon and Rihan playing a game of hot potato with a little yokai. Why...? That poor yokai...
"What you doing?" Rikuo asked, watching them toss the little guy from the door way.
"Yo, Rikuo! This little guy here wanted to be tossed. Don't know why..." Rihan greeted his son with only his head facing him as he continued passing it to his father.
"Weird guy... Whatever pleases them I suppose..." Nurarihyon added then looked at the yokai. "We're only going to do this a few more times, got it?"
"Okay." After a few more tosses, it was placed on the guy. It bowed. "Thank you." And it went to help with the preparation as Rikuo walked up to them.
"Well, this will be an interesting meeting, don't you think Rikuo?"
"Yes, though the beginning will mostly be filled with shock and screams," Rikuo replied.
"They should I know that I'm to awesome to be gone for good!" Rihan proclaimed. His son laughed while his dad just shook his head believing that Rihan he is complete idiot.
"You aren't the only one who came back," Nurarihyon reminded.
"Who do you think is missed more?"
"Doesn't that depend on who misses?" Rikuo asked. "I mean like, Shouei probably missed Hihi much more than you."
"Who?" Whether or not Rihan knew who the latter is is questionable. Most of the yokai at the meeting when he first appeared did not know him or just didn't recognize him.
"Lord Hihi?"
"Oh, I know him, but the other guy I mean."
"His son?"
"Hihi had a son?"
"What? You didn't think he'll ever have children?" Nurarihyon asked.
"Um, it's not that... It's more like... Umm..."
"More like what?" There was a moment of awkward silence between the triangle of the three generations.
"Well... I didn't know he got married."
"Okay... Just don't bring up this topic later."
"Well, it's about time we get going, don't you think?" Rikuo changed the topic.
"It's still a litter earlier, Rikuo. There's like half an hour until the meetings."
"Well, some of them are probably here by now."
"The ones who were already here, more or less... Alright, let's go then." The three walked out of that room and into the meeting room. Inside was Gyuuki, Karasu Tengu, Sasami, Kuroumaru, Tosakamaru , Aotoubou, Kurotoubou, Kubinashi, and Yuki Onna. Everyone else barely started arriving. They took their seats and waited for everyone to enter and be seated before beginning the meeting. The room was expanded some time ago as this was going to be a big meeting with important figures from each generation. "Rihan," Nurarihyon called his son.
"Yeah?" He looked at his old man.
"Why don't you wait in the other room until I gesture you in?" Oh he's up to something.
"Oh, I get it. Okay then!" Rihan got up and went behind the door. Now when everyone's in, they'll see an extra seat. He wanted to hide the other too but who knows when he'll get there. Screams could be heard from outside from some of the clan heads. They already saw that guy.
"Hmm, I wanted to see their expressions but I guess I'll have to deal with just this upcoming one..." One by one, the heads filed in. Seats of eleven on the left side, ten on the right, and three in the front center. On the left sat Karasu Tengu, Gyuuki, Mokugyo Daruma, Mottainai Obake, Jorougumo, Sorobanbou, Mitsume Yazura, Houkou, Oumukade, Asajigahara no Kijou, and Hitotsume Nyuudou from closest to Nurarihyon to the end. On the right side closest to Rikuo sat Zen, Kubinash, Yuki Onna, Aotoubou, Kurotabou, Kuroumaru, Tosakamaru, Sasami, Hihi, and Shouei. There was an empty seat between Rikuo and Nurarihyon, puzzling many. Whether or not that they have a seating chart matters not.
"Welcome, everyone," Rikuo greeted them. They greeted back, some more reluctant than others.
"You are all probably wondering why there's an extra seat and why it's up here, correct?" They all nodded. "Well, we have a special guest today who will remain with us for a long time, hopefully." Nurarihyon got up and slid open the door to gesture him in. Not there. "Eh...?" From another door came Rihan. Many were stunned with jaws wide opened that flies can go right in. He walked to take his seat in the front, with the stunned eyes following him.
"Pops, I'm shocked that you called me special and wished I'd be here for a long time. You do care!" Rihan cried.
"Well, it makes them less suspicious that it was some was pathetic and stupid as you." Ouch.
"Hurtful... In any case, go ahead and eat your food before we begin." Most were still frozen. "Or at least closed your mouths or you'll eat a fly..." They eventually snapped back into sense and began eating while chatting. After a good amount of time, everyone was quiet again and serious.
"We're all aware that Nue will be back in less than a year's time. We must get stronger. I have a feeling that there will be other obstacles to deal with along the way. Both Rihan and Rikuo will lead the clan in my steed. I and hopefully the rest of you retirees will join the battle if it becomes a necessity," Nurarihyon spoke. Then suddenly he became younger again.
"EH!" everyone was shock at the transformation.
"Did I eat liver?" He and the rest looked at the remnants of their meal. It was heard to tell.
"Last night, mom said that there was a sale on liver, right...? That means these are probably from the batch bought from the sale..." Rikuo concluded.
"Erm... In any case, let's continue..."
"Whoa...! This room is PACK!" They all turned their attention to the silly Rihan who went off topic. "There's one, two, three..." He counted them. "Twenty-four yokai here!"
"... Stupid son... Remain on the lookout for any threat or anything suspicious. Rikuo, you have yet to complete your Night parade."
"I know, I will-"
"Yo, Rikuo! Where are you?" a call from a particular fanatic interrupted the meeting at a distance. From the door, the yokai eyes turned to face the third heir.
"... I'm sorry, please excuse. Carry on with the meeting with me..." Rikuo excused himself and went to the dojo. When he arrived there, his human friends were sitting on the ground waiting for him and the others who have yet to arrive. "Umm... What are you doing here?"
"The Kiyojuuji Paranormal Investigation Squad meeting!" Kiyotsugu cried with passion.
"That's today?"
"YES!"
"We're sorry, Rikuo. Are you busy today?" Kana asked politely.
"Well I was. I have relatives over today so it might be noisy. I already excused myself so it doesn't matter anymore." He sighed and took a seat.
"Where's Oikawa-chan and the others?"
"They'll probably come later." The door was left open so they got a view of the open hall, the pond, and the sakura tree. Wait... There's something moving in the pond...
"Rikuo, do you have fish in your pond?" Shima asked.
"Fish?" He turned to see something or someone moving in the pond. 'It must be Kappa...' "Uh..."
"Let's go see! It's might be a Kappa!" He rushed towards it with everyone else following.
"Kiyotsugu!" Rikuo called to warn whoever it is that's in there. Surely enough it was Kappa. As they looked inside, there was a shadowy circle. Kappa popped up in his human guise.
"Eh, Aoi? What are you doing in there?"
"It's very refreshing." Aoi climbed out, soaking wet.
"He likes swimming in any clean water," Rikuo explained. "Come on, Aoi. Go change, ask my mom for spare clothing." He nodded and went as his master ordered.
"So which side of the family are your relatives that's here?" Saori asked as they returned to the dojo.
"Dad's. All of them. I've seen them around a lot so I'm used to them; though some aren't particularly nice..."
"What about your mom's?"
"I never seen them before. Though today maybe a bad time for them to visit."
"They don't like each other?"
"I don't know, but there're a lot of people here already. So what's the meeting about?" Rikuo asked Kiyotsugu. Tsurara didn't join the meeting because she went to help out around town instead and build her own clan.
"Well, I bought this yokai detector. So I thought we'd check your house again for any yokai that maybe lurking around. This place looks fit for housing yokai!" Kiyotsugu announced holding a strange mechanical object.
'Urk!'
'Is that thing gonna start beeping or whatever on me?'
'Hopefully not...' "That's great an all, but like I said, my relatives are over, and some of them are not very nice. Remember my sworn brother, Zen? He's here too." That made them reconsider a little but that didn't change his mind.
"Don't worry! We can get to know each other better than!" He began activating his decive.
"They're going to have to get used to seeing us around anyways..." Yura added. She whispered to Rikuo, "Is this really okay for us to freely wonder about like this?"
"That's kind of odd coming from you. You did the same the last time, if I recalled correctly," Rikuo retorted.
"Yeah... Sorry about that."
"I understand your and their concerns." He then turned to the others. "Even if there are yokai here, it's probably nothing we can't handle. We do have security."
"Well it does make sense for such a spacious and wealthy place like this to have security, but I haven't seen anything like security here," Kiyotsugu concluded.
"They're all over the place, really."
"How is it that your family can afford such a place? I haven't seen any big companies involved with your family. Who does the work?" Saori pointed out.
"Saori, isn't that a little personal?" Natsumii asked her best friend.
"Actually, I kind of wonder about that too..." Rikuo began to go into thought.
"Wonder about what, kiddo?" At the door was Rihan, here to embarrass his kid no doubt.
"Dad, the meeting's over? How can we afford such a huge place too?"
"Ended a good while ago. Now they're just roaming about and resting. They're very noisy and talkative! Man, they wouldn't shut up! I had to sneak away! Well, we actually have a few big company here and there under another name, and don't you know who your grandmother is?" He complained. "Oh your little friends are here. So that was the weird bird call." Bird call?
"What are you doing here though? There are plenty of empty rooms."
"Aw, you don't want me around? Well I'm here to embarrass you! Lots of catching up to do." Oh silly Rihan, you'll do it whether he's around or not!
"I don't want you around if that's your plan!" Rikuo panicked.
"Mister, is it okay if we have a look around for any yokai?" Kiyotsugu asked Rihan.
"Oh, there's plenty here, very friendly."
'DAD!'
"But some of the relatives probably won't hesitate to take a bite off your head. They're not very friendly most of the time..."
"Is that the real reason why you're here?" Rikuo asked.
"Okay, I accidentally angered one of them, and now he's out to get me."
"What did you do?"
"Well... Eh... I don't want to bring it up. Walls have ears you know. The halls can still echo too." What did he do...? Must have been a taboo that he's trying to get away from repeating. "So what are you kids up to?" Didn't they already answer that?
"We're looking for any yokai! While looking for all sorts of them, we will eventually find our savior, the Supreme Commander!" Kiyotsugu declared. Cough, cough. Rihan looked at his son, lifting an eyebrow. Rikuo just shrugged in return.
"Okay... Interesting..." 'Well, you certainly hit a hotspot for yokai.' "Tell me about this Supreme Commander." 'Are they talking about pops or Rikuo? He said Supreme Commander, that's probably the old man, but...' The fanatic went into so much details in describing the appearance, words, and actions that it was unbelievable. Well, parts were very much exaggerated. 'It can't be pops! He's not that cool! Must be Rikuo.' "Interesting, I'd like to see him in action someday."
'You're not helping!' Rikuo thought.
'I feel... praised and honored but at the same time a little creeped out...' Night Rikuo told his other self.
'You're the one who said you'd be a cheerleader.'
'Let's never bring that up again...'
"Mister, have you ever seen a yokai?" Shima asked Rihan.
"Yeah, but pops gotta be the biggest yokai around. That guy has no idea how to treat his own kid! It's dangerous to be around him I say. So Rikuo, don't be near that guy too much or be influenced by him," Rihan reflected and warned. He does mean it both literally and metaphorically, if it's even metaphoric.
"Too late..." Rikuo responded. His friends just kind of stared off and were a bit baffled by Rihan's answer. Yura understood the literal part.
"He was pretty nice to us though," Kana said.
"Maybe it's just me... Not fair!" Rihan whined and stomped childishly for a while.
"You are such an embarrassment...!" Rikuo exasperated. Rihan turn to his son with a smirk.
"That's the point. So kids, I'll give you a good tour around." That sounds like a bad idea and wasn't he hiding from someone?
"Thank you sir!" They got up.
"Dad, what are you thinking?" Rikuo whispered in a panic like state.
"If they get a good look around, they won't suspect this place," he whispered back.
"What about the yokai? How will they know they'll be moving around? They won't like it! Besides Yura already knows, but she won't exorcise anyone."
"She's an onmyouji? Eh, if she doesn't do anything, it's fine. We'll avoid the rooms with the bigwigs."
"How do you know where they are?"
"They're so predictable. It's the same every time they come."
"Umm, what are you two whispering about?" one of the five asked.
"Oh I was asking him some things kind of personal. Oh," Rikuo turned to his dad, "weren't you hiding from someone?" Yes, weren't you?
"Eh, he probably forgot by now. He doesn't hold grudges for very long. It's just that you gotta get out of there when he is angry," the second explained. "Well, let's go!" Following the eldest, they were given a tour around the mansion. As the group was barely in sight, the yokai fled to a hiding spot, sometimes not the best spots either. The first room they enter had Zen, and they were a bit stunned to see him. So Rihan knew where everyone was huh...? Zen stared at them but said nothing. He was more or less thinking.. stuff... in his head. "Sup, Zen was it?"
"Yes...?" He controlled his temper well this time; Rikuo expected him to burst in anger. Zen was in a room by himself, mixing some medicine for future purposes. His wings weren't shown so he looked like a normal human doctor preparing medicine. "What are you doing...?"
"Giving these kids a tour."
He's most likely thinking, 'Are you stupid? This place is full of yokai especially today! Did you get dumber while you were gone?'
"Hi, Zen," Rikuo tried breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Yo, Rikuo!" He smiled, preferring to see his sworn brother rather than the second.
"Sorry to bother you but stumbling in while you were working. We'll get going. Bye!" Rikuo closed the doors and literally pushed the others to the next area as fast as possible. He began doubting his father's knowledge of yokai. The next door was supposed to be an empty room. Suppose. Inside were Kubinashi and Kejoro chatting, most likely reminiscing. They turned their attention to the opening door. Kubinashi's head was floating low, so form the distance between him and the door, the missing neck is blocked by his scarf.
"Oh did we interrupt something? Our bad." Rihan closed the door before any of them got to protest.
"Wasn't that Shiranami and the new school nurse?" Kana asked as Rikuo gave a sheepish look.
"Yeah, they're good friends," Rikuo explained as they resume their tour. Kubinashi transformed into human and rushed out after them.
"Wait, what are you guys doing? I didn't know there was a meeting here today!" Shiranami huffed. 'Are they crazy? Today of all days, they decided to roam around with many yokai around, especially the big wigs? Who's great idea was this...?'
"Oh, you didn't need to come, I'm just giving them a tour," Rihan responded to his subordinate.
"I'm coming." 'Second, how could you? You were always unpredictable but really?' They continued their tour with a new addition to the group, not that he needs a tour. Oh how the yokai fretted on who would be encountered next. They just prayed that it was no one who was obviously a yokai. Cough, Hitotsume, cough. He would be the biggest pain too... Of course there are other yokais that look, well, more like yokai.
"Hmm, does my yokai device not work or there's simply no yokai here?" Kiyotsugu pondered, checking his object as they walked.
"Y-yokai device?"
"Yeah." He showed him the thing, but the latter dared not touch it. "Mister, didn't you say there was plenty of yokai here?"
"Hmm?" Rihan turned his head to face the fanatic. "Didn't I saw how terrible my dad was?"
'I think he got the wrong definition of yokai...' they humans thought, minus Yura. Nah, he knows what he's talking about, not too confident about his actions, but his words are right. They just got the wrong interpretation. How sly, Second, deceiving them with the truth. They approach the next door, where they prayed so hard that there was no one there or at least someone who can keep quiet about what they saw. Before they opened it...
"Oi!" This loud, deep shout forced the group to back up a little, startled. "KUROTABOU! WHAT DO YA THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He slurred.
"That sounds like Kurata..." Saori commented.
'Ugh, sounds like he's drunk...' Rikuo worried.
"Ao... Calm down... You're going to break this place if you don't stop your rampage..." Kurotabou attempted to quiet him down.
"WHAT YA TALKING 'BOUT?" Outside, the group looked at each other.
"Uh... I'll be right back..." Rihan went inside, opening the door only enough for him to get in without them seeing what's inside.
"We should skip this room when he gets back..." Rikuo suggested, which they agreed to. Who knows what will happen if they go in.
"OH, SECOND! FANCY MEETING YOU HERE! HAVE A DRINK!" Aotobo shouted.
"Fancy meeting me here? I live here! Quit drinking and get sober already! Kuro, help me here!" Rihan ordered. There were a few crashes and dish breaking before it was quiet. Outside, there were worried about the silence, but they didn't dare look inside.
"I'm sorry for my behavior, Second..." Ao apologized.
"Then you are forgiven, now stay here and think more about what you did. While you're at it, clean this mess. Kuro, leave him alone for a while."
"Yes, sir," they replied. Rihan returned outside.
"It's a mess in there, let's move on."
"That Ao guy sounds like Kurata? Why did they call him 'Second' and were very respectful to him?" Saori asked.
"Well, I'm the second heir to this giant place. It's normal to show respect to people especially at another's home." The next room was also occupied. This time, it was two giants, father and son. "Ah! Yo Hihi and... someone?" They stared at them for a while.
"Hi, Shouei," Rikuo called.
"Rikuo?" he replied.
"Who?" Rihan asked his son.
"That's Hihi's son, Shouei," RIkuo explained to his dad quietly. Not that it helped, since it was pretty quiet.
"Oh! They don't look alike..." I would say height but it's a little hard to tell with them sitting. It makes it harder to compare features if one of them is wearing a mask. Well Rikuo and Rihan don't look that alike. Now if Rikuo was in his night form, more so but more like Nurarihyon. "Huh, what's with sons not looking like their fathers?"
"Sons tend to look more like their mothers," Hihi explained. It's true, and girls tend to look more like their fathers.
"Ah, Rikuo got Wakana's good looks and hands too." Oh, so Rikuo has girl hands. When he said that, Rikuo examined his hands. "And Shouei got his mother's look. What do they get from us then?" Their gender and their side of the yokai blood...? Rihan, you and your ridiculous questions. "Oh, you were gone for a while too. Aren't you going to catch up with embarrassing your son like what parents do best?"
"DAD! REALLY NOW?" Rikuo scolded him. Mature child, immature father, that's Rikuo and Rihan. Now the older generation is the opposite, somewhat. Nurarihyon is more mature compared to Rihan, but he does act immature at times.
"Embarrass? Nah, I don't need to. He can do that perfectly fine by himself!" Hihi replied to the question. What's he implying?
"Father?" Shouei was shocked to his answer.
"But that's no fun! You gotta give it a try! Be a proper parent!" Rihan whined.
"DAD! Do you know what you are saying? That's not a proper parent and you're acting like a child!" Rikuo argued. He doesn't want someone else to go through what he's going though thanks to Rihan.
'What an interesting family...' The humans thought. Some also thought, 'Looks so fun!' Oh how they envy that family and their fun.
"You give bad parenting! Besides, Hihi's been a parent longer than you have."
"Well I was gone for some years!" Rihan defended.
"Still!"
"Uh.. Rikuo, we're actually a lot closer in age than you think." Shouei is either a little younger than Rikuo or a little older. I'm actually a bit perplexed on their ages since there were different translations. So let's just leave it close in age.
"Oh, but he's still a better parent than this guy right?"
"This guy? I'm hurt..." Rihan sobbed.
"Um, well... He is to me. I'm not sure of Rihan's methods of parenting," Shouei answered.
"You just saw one of his 'parenting skills'. Embarrassing plays a huge factor..." Rikuo sighed. "Well, sorry to bother both of you. We'll excuse ourselves. Come on dad!" Rikuo pushed his father out and closed the door. They resumed their tour. "Don't get any parenting tips from him," Rikuo warned his friends.
"You're family's very interesting and fun," Shima commented.
"I wonder about that sometimes." They continued the rest of the tour into empty rooms, luckily. Many of the yokai were still hanging out in the meeting room. They made their way back to the dojo to discuss more yokai matters.
"Well, sadly there's not yokai here.." Kiyotsugu lamented. Or that thing simply does not work. Did they ever notice that Kappa never came back? "Anyways, have you ever heard about the toilet yokai?"
"Toilet yokai?" they all asked. You know where this is going. It will happen similarly to the manga. To summarize, Kiyotsugu explained about the toilet yokai, and they went to look for it. Saori sees it in the bathroom and freaks out. Kiyotsugu tells her a way a get rid of the yokai, but not all of it. Saori sees it again, but this time repeats his name multiple times. The yokai head's falls off and I think money comes out. That's pretty much it.
"Saori was the only to see it. Lucky..."
"IT WAS NOT LUCKY!" She complained wanting to punch or strangle Kiyotsugu. No one likes having no privacy. They just talked about the strange yokai as they walked home.
...
Yeah the ending was bad, but there's not much to say about the toilet yokai. This chapter was just some weird things in the Nura house. The next chapter is probably going to be about Tsurara's new clan and the next bit in the manga: Tooryanse the slasher and people eating village. The chapter after that will either be the 100 tales arc or something else. I don't know yet.
R&R please, and go ahead to vote for what you want to happen.