Having heard strange rumors about herself circulating in Heian-kyo, Ubume had set out to investigate. She moved only at night, patrolling the rooftops of the capital, and by the second evening, she finally encountered her targets: a group of men in black, secretly abducting infants under the cover of darkness.
Upon seeing them stealing a child from an ordinary household, Ubume struck immediately. She clashed with the figures, but they seemed unwilling to cause a public disturbance. After a brief skirmish, they retreated. Because they were numerous and she did not want to alert the Onmyoryo with a prolonged battle, Ubume did not pursue.
However, during that first sudden assault, Ubume had successfully slashed the clothing of one of the men. A scroll had tumbled from the rip.
"A scroll?" Nura Rihyon asked, sounding puzzled as he listened to her story.
"Yes. It fell from a man who appeared to be their leader. I nearly impaled him during our exchange; when he dodged, the scroll dropped. In the chaos of the moment, no one paid it much mind, and I retrieved it from the site once they withdrew." Ubume recalled the event, reaching into her robes to pull out a small scroll to show them. She continued, "Recorded here is a map of Heian-kyo, with several locations clearly marked. One of those was where I first encountered them."
"Where you first encountered them..." Nura Rihyon mused, contemplating her words. He quickly grasped the key point. "Are the markings on that scroll the target locations for the kidnappings?"
"You've guessed correctly. These locations belonged to families they intended to hit next. That was how I knew for certain it was these wretches masquerading as me to steal infants. It truly is unforgivable!" Ubume’s voice trembled with cold fury. She continued her narrative.
The detailed markings left behind by the men in black indicated several target points. Some were crossed out, while others remained untouched; the site of their previous skirmish was one of the ones not yet crossed off. Ubume concluded that the crossed-out marks represented children already taken, while the unmarked ones were future targets.
Ubume knew that any child stolen for such mysterious reasons faced a grim fate. She could not simply turn a blind eye. Though she lacked the means to rescue the infants already taken from their clutches, she could protect those remaining. As a wanted yokai, she could not simply approach humans to explain herself, nor did she trust them. Consequently, the protection she chose was to strike first—seizing the target infants before the men in black could reach them. It was her own aggressive, predatory brand of guardianship.
Beside her, Miketsu fell into deep thought. She wasn't surprised by this turn of events; the intelligence she had gathered earlier already hinted that this incident was far deeper than it appeared. The mysterious figures in black had even appeared in the reports collected by Konkiku. Miketsu hadn't been certain of their role before, but now it was clear. If Ubume's words were true, they were likely the true masterminds behind everything.
"Let me see that scroll," Miketsu said suddenly, snapping out of her contemplation. Without hesitation, Ubume tossed the scroll over. Miketsu caught it and immediately unrolled it for inspection.
The scroll contained an intricate map of Heian-kyo with several precisely marked locations. Surrounding the marks were notes detailing the households—it was clear that the person who made this was a meticulous investigator. Each target had been researched to ensure the children met specific criteria: female and born with spiritual power.
"If you intend to use that information, you're likely too late," Ubume said plainly, watching Miketsu study the map. "When I found it, there were only four targets left. As of today, I have already taken the fourth... the last baby out of the city. That scroll is practically useless now." Miketsu’s heart skipped a beat at those words.
Kikyo was their final target? This meant the men in black would likely cease their operations in the capital. It effectively meant Miketsu’s plan to wait in ambush at a target location was now a dead end.
"Tch, so it's garbage already? I thought we could use this to track those masterminds back to their hole," Nura Rihyon grumbled, turning his gaze back to Ubume.
"If you had come to us as soon as you found that scroll, we might have rescued all those children by now."
"Hmph. At the time, I didn't believe such a thing as 'Yokai Ninkyo' truly existed," Ubume remarked with a light chuckle. Her meaning was clear: she didn't trust them. As a lone wolf, Ubume did not easily place her faith in others.
"Then you can try to believe us now... if you want to rescue the children who were taken before..." Miketsu stowed the scroll away and looked Ubume in the eye. The bird-yokai froze for a moment.
"Are you saying... you have a way to save the other infants?" Ubume asked, her voice laced with doubt. Miketsu met her gaze, answering with a cryptic weight in her voice.
"I do. Provided you are willing to cooperate, there is still a chance for a turnaround."
High above Heian-kyo, Miketsu, still clad in her Owl persona, held the peacefully sleeping Kikyo in her arms. She rode upon the back of Makoto, who had transformed into a giant bird. The small white fox, Konkiku, lay curled beside her. They were currently on the journey back to Mount Inari.
"Lady Uka... can that Ubume really be trusted?" Makoto asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.
"Her love for those children is genuine. For that alone, we can afford to trust her. If necessary, I can confirm it later through divination." As she spoke, Miketsu pulled Kikyo closer into her robes, shielding her from the biting winds of the high altitude.
"The key is for her to believe in us. Only then can we break this case open... Heh, I have a feeling we might run into some 'old friends' soon. I suspect we may need to exert considerable effort then." While speaking, Miketsu drew the tachi from the scabbard at her waist.
The blade of the tachi was now a ruin of chips, dents, and jagged cracks. It looked so battered it seemed it might shatter at the slightest touch.
"Ah... done for again. My style of swordsmanship truly is too reckless for common steel," Miketsu lamented as she looked at the ruined edge. In her clash with Ubume, she had channeled her Oni-God strength. The crushing pressure was not only felt by Ubume but by the weapon itself. Mundane steel simply could not withstand the raw power capable of splitting the earth.
"Woah... Lady Uka, your blade turned into that? That was crafted by the finest smith in Choyo-machi! How could it be so fragile?" Konkiku cried out, genuinely startled.
"It can’t be helped. Though it qualifies as a 'demonic blade,' it is ultimately a mundane weapon without transcendent forging materials. I'm lucky it didn't snap mid-fight," Miketsu said calmly.
"I'll go and prepare a new blade for you immediately, Lady Uka. Don't worry, the next one will definitely be stronger!"
"No need for that."
"Eh? No need? Could it be that your original weapon has..."
Miketsu sheathed the broken blade and smiled toward the night-shrouded city of Heian-kyo below.
"Yes. It should be finished by now. It’s about time I went to retrieve it."
Rate on N.U.
