Challenge

On a lawn by a riverbank in Choyo-machi, the tanuki yokai named Tamamura stomped his foot, looking impatiently at Nura Rihyon walking towards him.

"You, what are you hiding here for?"

"Didn't I tell you? I went to gather information. I told you to stay put, why are you so impatient?" Nura Rihyon said, while observing Tamamura, feeling that something was missing from him.

"Hmm? Where's young Lady Yamausagi?"

"Oh, her. She got tired from playing all day and just fell asleep. Look, over here..." Tamamura said, gesturing casually to the grass behind him, where the tiny Yamausagi lay sprawled, sound asleep, a snot bubble expanding and contracting on her nose.

"Although she keeps saying to quickly find her 'Mr. Frog,' she doesn't seem too worried herself. So, Nura Rihyon, are you really determined to help this kid all the way?"

"Of course. Once I've promised something, I must see it through." Nura Rihyon shrugged, stating it as a matter of course. Tamamura, hearing this, immediately pouted.

"So you were just gathering information about the frog yokai?"

"No~ I wasn't specifically gathering information about one thing. I listen to everything, and I note down interesting things... I plan to find an opportunity for instant fame from them." Facing Tamamura's inquiry, Nura Rihyon slowly spoke, his words leaving Tamamura utterly confused.

"Instant fame? Didn't you say we needed to find the frog first? Why suddenly aim for fame?" Tamamura said, puzzled. While becoming famous was indeed their big goal, changing plans midway wasn't Nura Rihyon's style.

Hearing Tamamura's words, Nura Rihyon smiled slightly, wiggled his thumb a few times in front of him, and slowly said:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this is where your short-sightedness shows, Tamamura. With fame, many things become much easier, including helping young Lady Yamausagi find her Mr. Frog."

Fame equals influence. With fame, he could leverage it to influence the yokai of Heian-kyo, open up more intelligence channels, and even mobilize them to search together. This was Nura Rihyon's current thinking.

"Uh... if that's the case, have you found a way to achieve instant fame?" Listening to Nura Rihyon, Tamamura wiped his forehead and said.

"Of course. I've used this method many times when I was in Kanto." Nura Rihyon continued with full confidence.

"To quickly make a name for yourself in an area, the fastest way is to pick a fight with one of the most famous figures there, defeat him, and then you can step on his nose to reach the top." As he spoke, Nura Rihyon turned to look at the gradually bustling streets behind him, where lights were slowly illuminating.

"It was like that in Kanto, and it's the same in Heian-kyo."

Hearing Nura Rihyon's words, Tamamura narrowed his eyes and then said.

"Are you so confident in your strength? This is Heian-kyo, not your hometown. Are you so sure you can defeat the strong ones here?"

"Heh heh, I still have that much confidence. Those so-called strong ones are at most just leaders of small mountains or streets, nothing major. Besides, if I can't beat them, I can always run, can't I? You know my abilities." Looking at Tamamura, Nura Rihyon continued speaking as if it were obvious, a hint of roguishness in his expression.

"All in all, if I can win, I'll instantly rise to fame, stepping on my opponent to make a name for myself. If I can't, at most I'll be like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger; losing is just losing, no big deal. They can't keep me anyway, so there's no loss."

"So, you were gathering information just now to find a target for a challenge?" Tamamura said, stroking his chin, now understanding what Nura Rihyon was plotting.

"Of course. Based on the information I've been continuously gathering, I've found a suitable target. He's also recently risen to fame in this town, so perhaps I can use his momentum to reach the top in one go."

"Who is it?"

"A mysterious fellow, you'll find out in a bit."

...

In the Cat Izakaya in Choyo-machi, Miketsu was currently seated in her private box on the second floor, listening to the news the little white fox beside her had just gathered for her.

"So they all know I helped Toga take out that group of leopard cat yokai?" Miketsu said, somewhat surprised. She remembered there shouldn't have been many spectators during the battle at Ogura Pond.

"Well... Konkiku thinks they're probably just guessing. After all, Toga couldn't have dealt with that group of leopard cat yokai alone; a helper was certainly involved, and the most likely helper would be you, who helped him out last time." Wagging her tail, Konkiku said to Miketsu.

Hearing Konkiku's words, Miketsu finally understood the expressions of the yokai on the street. So, this kind of rumor had spread, elevating Owl's reputation among the yokai of Choyo-machi to a new level.

Unwittingly, Owl seemed to have become a well-known yokai in Heian-kyo. This rapid inflation of her reputation was somewhat unexpected for Miketsu.

It was hard to say if this increased fame was good or bad. While it would make it easier to operate in the demon realm, it would also make her a target of more attention. If she eventually became a target for exorcism by the Onmyoryo, that wouldn't be fun.

Shaking her head, Miketsu decided not to dwell on it. After all, she couldn't control fame; let the yokai spread whatever rumors they liked. For now, eating was more important.

And so, after the cat brought her dishes, Miketsu cast aside all other miscellaneous thoughts and focused wholeheartedly on the delicious meal on the table.

Just then, outside the Cat Izakaya, two figures arrived at the entrance. It was Nura Rihyon and the tanuki Tamamura, who was carrying the still-sleeping Yamausagi.

"So... this is where that 'Owl' often appears?" Looking at his surroundings, Tamamura said suspiciously.

"No mistake. I asked many people to find this place, and according to them, Owl is inside right now. Heh... what good luck. Alright, as we discussed, you go in first."

"Uh... is that okay?"

"Of course it's fine. I've done this many times. It might fail, but there's no risk."

"Alright then, if anything happens to you later, I won't get involved." Tamamura finished speaking, then, carrying Yamausagi, entered the Cat Izakaya.

Nura Rihyon smiled slightly, waited a short while at the entrance, then pushed aside the curtain and went in. He slowly walked straight to the center of the izakaya, looked around, and then shouted loudly:

"Everyone present! Excuse me!"

Nura Rihyon's voice echoed throughout the Cat Izakaya. All the yokai in the room instantly turned their gaze towards him.

"Hey, hey... where did this guy come from? Get out quickly, don't disturb my customers' meals..." Seeing Nura Rihyon's actions, the Cat Shop Owner quickly came over to shoo him away. But before she had even walked halfway, Nura Rihyon took out a small string of copper coins and tossed them to her. The Cat Shop Owner's eyes lit up as she quickly caught them.

"Excuse me, proprietress, I merely wish to borrow your establishment to say a few words. Consider that money a venue fee."

After lightly counting the money in her hand, the Cat Shop Owner's previously stern face immediately broke into a smile, and she said amicably:

"Ahaha... alright, alright, you can speak here, but remember not to take too long, okay?" The Cat Shop Owner, having received the money, smiled and retreated. Seeing this, Nura Rihyon cleared his throat with two coughs, then continued to speak loudly to the entire room:

"Fellow yokai of Heian-kyo, I am Nura Rihyon from Kanto. I've come to Heian-kyo this time to see the world and improve my skills. Therefore, I am very keen to interact with the yokai heroes here and broaden my horizons." With a smile, the young yokai Nura Rihyon slowly spoke. Although his words seemed sincere, his tone was utterly contemptuous, and combined with his slightly narrowed eyes, it gave off a very provocative feeling.

This was something he had specifically practiced!

Noticing the commotion downstairs, Konkiku, having learned from previous experience, quickly reminded Miketsu, who was still focused on eating, so she wouldn't be unaware of what was happening.

And so, everyone's attention in the room was now focused on Nura Rihyon. Seeing the gazes from all directions, Nura Rihyon nodded with satisfaction.

"So, how do you plan to interact?" From among the yokai, a voice came, belonging to Tamamura, the tanuki who had entered earlier.

"A good question. Heroes and valiant warriors naturally get to know each other through battle. Therefore, I, humble as I am, wish to issue a challenge to a certain hero currently seated here. His name is Owl..."