Master and Yokai

-cautiously with a shield- I'm... back...? -dodges tomatoes and rocks- Sorry for the long wait... I-

GC: Sowry ain't gonna cut it!

... Quiet you... Anyways... I'm getting busier and busier. I barely got the chance to update my other fic the other day. And I really shouldn't even be working on this... I should be cramming but I'll spare sometime. I actually lost some interest since I thought the way the Sanmoto arc end was pretty poor and the Mount Osore was eh... But I'm interested again, I want to know how Rikuo is gonna manage the alliances and his school friends. I didn't expect to see the Shikoku 88 Demons returning... I don't think Shouei would be too happy about that. Also excuse me if I fumble up on the chapter content. I don't remember too well what happened but I don't have the time to go back through everything. Phfft... I didn't make in February...

Disclaimer once again: I don't own Nurarihyon No Mago. NONE OF IT.

...

Chapter 14 Act and Battle

"This isn't good... This fear... It's overwhelming, and there's some sort of barrier surrounding us... I must protect Wakana-sama!" Kubinashi thought as he readied his strings for combat. The enemy made no move, merely chuckled. Something's up that is certainly in his favor to cause him to look down on the troubled yokai. Without any further delay, Kubinashi launched his strings at the kabuki performer. Deflected, no damage or effect what so ever.

"Ahahaha! This is my stage, and we are actors. Everything follows my script. I am to win, and you are to be eliminated," Tamasaburou laughed before slashing Kubinashi with a double end spear which he claims to be a katana. The latter barely managed to escape vital injury however still at a great disadvantage.

"Not good... Not good at all... If I could at least find a way for Wakana-sama to escape, I don't have to worry about her for the time being. Then again... He's currently focused on me... But how can I defeat him if my fear won't work?" Kubinashi thought long and hard while playing a game of dodge. Before long, the spear slashed him along his torso all the way to the stage wall. "Gah!" Blood poured out of his mouth and wound as he laid against the ground and the wall struggling to stand up. "He's too powerful..." His head lifted to see Wakana about to be attacked. "W-Wakana-sama!" He stretched out his hand towards her but was too far away.

"Rikuo's mother. Oh how it is an honor for you to die on my blade," Tamasaburou began to swing his weapon at her. Then she busted out a gun and shot the enemy in the head with it. It worked; blood poured down the side of his face and temporarily stunned him. Shocked both Kubinashi and the infiltrator was.

"You.. You said this stage as a script right? So this kind of adlibbing would make you vulnerable," Wakana huffed triumphantly with the gun still in her hand.

"You had something like that?" Kubinashi managed to ask, slowl recovering from shock.

"I'm the wife of a yakuza household. It's best if I have a hidden weapon. Fufufu, I always wanted to do something like this." He was speechless. It was very unlikely for her to do something like that especially with her personality. But thanks to that, they were able to find a loophole and even out the playing field. Angered, Tamasaburou rushed an attack on Wakana. Kubinashi regained the strength to defend the mistress thanks to a memory that resurfaced. He stopped the opponent's movement and tied him down.

"It's over... I won't let you laid another finger on the Second's treasure again..." The stage disappeared and reinforcement from the house came and made sure there'd be no more trouble. "Come to think of it... Where is Rihan-sama?"

In Shibuya...

Kurotabou and Rikuo were finishing their fight with Kyousai, who can barely hold up a fight much longer. Kuroumaru flew in to inform Rikuo. However seeing as he is busy, he disobeyed the command and informed Rihan who was just watching in the sideline. "Rihan-sama, Wakana-sama is being targeted-"

"WHAT?" the Second cried with outrage before the crow could even finish. He stood up and ran back to the main house.

"M-mom?" Rikuo over heard, his voice mixed with worry and anger.

"Kubinashi is taking care of things over there at the moment" Kuroumaru finished to Rikuo and Rihan was already long gone, all that was left was a trail of dust.

"... I'll leave things to Kubinashi. And to dad if he gets there in time..." Rikuo turned his full attention back to Kyousai who was taking advantage of that, but luckily Kurotabou covered for him.

"Rihan-sama... Really, this is why you don't just do things as you please..." Tsurara sighed. The Kiyojuuji Paranormal Investigation Squad was baffled at what just happened. Kyousai was about to trap Rikuo in a decaying curse until Kurotabou intervened, slicing off anything that Kyousai could use against them be it arm or brush. He wasn't about to leave any openings for the enemy. He was determined to defeat the Hundred Tales Clan and protect the Nura Clan. Rikuo and Kurotabou performed matoi and landed a finishing blow on Kyousai, defeating yet another executive. The latter let out a scream before falling dead on the ground. Panting, the two backed up to the spectator spot. Tsurara hide her little jealously, wanting to perform matoi with Rikuo. However, Kurotabou did sense a minor animosity towards him from him. On the other hand, he sensed gratitude from the other girls.

"We can't sit around here and do nothing," Rikuo began before his classmates got a chance to ask some questions. "You guys shouldn't linger around us any longer since we're heading towards their hideout. Tsurara, would you take them back to the main house?"

"But I want to go too!" Yuki-onna protested.

"You swore loyalty to me, didn't you?" She hesitated and gave in.

"Yes, master..."

"Kurotabou, let's g- Hey is that a camera?" Rikuo finally noticed the camera Kiyotsugu held on to that was still recording.

"Y-yes! I will prove your innocence!" Kiyotsugu stuttered. Rikuo slipped a smirk and a soft chuckled.

"Thank you... All of you. Now go with Tsurara back to my house." They wanted to stay longer, some more than others, but they complied. Itaku entered and ushered them to hurry. The three of them went outside only to, yes you suspected by now, almost be ran over by none other than Aotabou. "A-Ao?" Aotabou skidded to a stop a good building away, turned around, and screeched towards them with a glaring light. "N-no, no, no STOP!" Rikuo and the other two dodge it. Luckily for Tsurara and the humans, they took a different path and weren't they glad they did even though they wanted to see Rikuo off but did worried when they heard the ruckus. "HOW THE HELL(O) DID YOU GET A LICENSE FOR THAT?"

"RIKUO-SAMA!" Aotabou went for a hug, clearly blind to the anger expressed on all three almost road-killed victims. Kurotabou punched him before he had the chance to hug, revenge for almost running them over. He was already in possibly the worst mood there; that motorcycle did not help, only skyrocketed heartbeats and lives flashing before their eyes. Right now, all three are on about the same level of outrage. Itaku wanted to inflict more pain as it was his second time nearly becoming a squashed weasel; however, he restrained himself but sent icy glares instead.

"... Aotabou... If you're just blindly driving around, go back to the main house- CAREFULLY- and help protect everyone there..." Rikuo cautiously ordered. He, and others, clearly has plans in mind to eradicate the motorcycle. It was just far too dangerous for everyone with that around.

"YES MASTER!" he skedaddled out of there, still at an immense speed. They wanted to tell him to slow down, but they knew there would be consequences if they tried. After a mere second, all that was left was dust and gush of wind with the scent of blood in the air. Without any further hesitation, the three headed off to the lair of Sanmoto's Hundred Tales Clan.

Hundreds of newly born yokai mixed in with old loyal ones constantly got in the way, slowing them down and draining their energy. Eventually, they stood before the giant doors of the hideout where they were awaited by a shadowy figure. Rikuo and his two allies readied their weapons until light shown on the mysterious figure's face that walked up to them.

"R-Ryuji?" Rikuo was baffled at why the exorcist was there. Especially with the events that happened at Kyoto, he wasn't expecting anyone from the Keikain clan to aid them.

"Gray existence," he simply replied, angering Kurotabou and annoyed Rikuo. Itaku didn't particularly care about the statement.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have a message for you, and all these yokai squirming around sickens me so I'll eradicate them." They weren't too happy about that last part. He could have also been referring to them.

"What's the message...?"

"I'll tell you later."

"..." Without any further delay, Ryuji joined the party and forced open the doors into a powerful storm of fear and darkness.

Inside, Yanagida and Yosuzume awaited them.

"This will be as far as you go..." Yanagida growled. He wasn't about to let them disrupt his beloved master's resurrection.

"... Rikuo, Itaku, go on ahead. I have a score to settle with him. Deeper in would probably be much more dangerous. Be careful..." Kurotabou urged them to go without him, forgetting about Ryuji who actually disappeared around that time.

"Kurotabou... Alright, I'll leave it to you," Rikuo agreed. "Let's go Itaku, Ry- Eh? Where'd he go...?"

"Doesn't matter, move it!" Itaku pushed him forward.

"I won't let you!" Yanagida sent Yosuzume to hold them back, but the onmyoji reappeared and stopped her.

"Thanks Ryuji!" Rikuo called as he passed through.

"Tch, foolish yokai..." the liar grumbled. The four soon commenced into battle in which the enemies would flee from eventually. Rikuo and Itaku headed to where Enchou and the brain stood. Upon entry was a shocking sight. Enchou had eliminated the brain, his own ally.

"Unbelievable... You would even go to such an extent to murder one of your own..." Rikuo glared. "But, why?

"Heh. There was just simply no use for such a piece. Sanmoto would return regardless," Enchou chucked. Hidden in the dark behind was something huge. It was difficult to make out what it was exactly until it moved; it was alive.

"W-what is that?" Rikuo backed up a millimeter, nearly letting his guard down. Itaku strengthened his fear and prepared for the worst to come. All that responded was a low chuckled followed by the monster's small movements.

...

Okay I seriously don't remember too well about the Sanmoto battle and whatnot but I don't have the urge to go check because that will just take up too much time. I was gonna change some of the actions anyways. I did intend on making this chapter considerably longer like my other fic due to the mini hiatus, but that wasn't going to happen because for some reason I take forever just doing a chapter and not enough motivation. Then again the other one I was hyped up and it's mostly dialogue and less detail but normally isn't as long as this in terms of words... At any rate, the next chapter should be the end of this arc along with some mini stories about the other yokai during the time. I'm more or less going to skip the Mount Osore part because that literally wasn't that interesting to me. So we'll get back to the school thing even though Rikuo's preparing alliances.

R&R Please