The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons

The onmyoji of Heian-kyo gathered in one place, utilizing a Yokai-Gathering Array to consolidate the demonic threats and deal with the widespread infestation. Initially, their strategy proved highly effective; the monsters within the capital were being systematically suppressed and purged by the stable formation of their collective array. Just as the tide seemed to be turning in favor of humanity, a colossal centipede yokai erupted from the earth within the humans' defensive lines, reducing their hard-won advantage to naught.

The Demon-Faced Centipede writhed its massive body, crushing everything in its vicinity with wild abandon. In an instant, the humans within the formation suffered countless casualties, and chaos reigned. Amidst this turmoil, the monsters on the periphery—those lured by the Yokai-Gathering Array—seized the opportunity to press their attack, further compounding the humans' plight. In a heartbeat, the situation for the defenders became dire beyond measure. Their only solace was that the Yokai-Gathering Array had been shattered during the Demon-Faced Centipede's ambush, meaning no more monsters would be drawn to the site; however, the humans were still ill-equipped to handle the current threat.

In the thick of the fray, many onmyoji launched counterattacks against the greatest threat, the Demon-Faced Centipede, but their efforts yielded little result. The creature possessed the strength of a yokai general and specialized in defense; its hardened carapace shrugged off blades and arrows, while the faces upon its body devoured demonic flames and spells alike.

In normal circumstances, this number of onmyoji would not have been unable to deal with such a beast; they could have united to cast a powerful magical array to suppress it. However, in the current state of absolute mayhem, it was impossible to organize and establish a formation.

"Just like before... this thing is incredibly tough..."

Yura gritted her teeth as she watched her armored warrior shikigami, Wuqu, get batted aside by the Demon-Faced Centipede, its attacks failing to leave a mark. Over six months ago, she had witnessed the creature's power firsthand, and at that time, she had been almost entirely helpless against it.

"Now, let's see the results of my recent training..."

As she spoke, Yura began to chant an incantation. Beside her, the Tanrou shikigami dissolved into phantom blue flames, which then coalesced into a burning arrow before her. "Go! Shikigami Arrow—Tanrou!"

With a wolf-like howl, the phantom blue flame arrow formed from her soul-contracted shikigami streaked toward the rampaging Demon-Faced Centipede. The arrow struck a segment of the centipede's body, tearing a hole over half a meter wide. Drawing on her previous experience fighting the creature, Yura had specifically aimed for a section not covered by the demon faces to prevent the attack from being swallowed.

After six months of growth, Yura's onmyojutsu had clearly reached a new level.

The frenzied Demon-Faced Centipede was wounded for the first time, letting out a horrific screech. It turned its massive head toward the source of the attack, its giant body twisting as it surged toward Yura. Under the influence of its sinister energy, the hole in its body began to heal rapidly.

"Damn it... was one shot not enough?"

Yura bit her lip in frustration. At the same time, she flipped herself onto the back of her giant deer shikigami, Rokuzon, intending to evade the oncoming centipede. Unexpectedly, a slender Okuri-inu suddenly lunged from nowhere, its jaws locking onto Rokuzon's leg and pinning the deer in place.

Startled, Yura immediately ordered Rokuzon to kick the Okuri-inu away with its hind leg. But by then, the Demon-Faced Centipede's terrifying head was already bearing down upon her.

"Oh no!"

In that split second, a white shadow blurred past, whisking Yura away from Rokuzon. The deer shikigami was struck by the centipede and dissolved into flames, while the beast itself skidded far down the street from the force of its own momentum.

Seimei, the young onmyoji, soared through the skies of Heian-kyo atop his white crane shikigami. Clutched in the crane's talons, Yura looked up with a face full of joy.

"You finally made it, Seimei!"

"Yeah, sorry for the delay in joining you. I got held up by some people from the Minamoto clan. Fortunately, their young Lord Yorimitsu is reasonably sensible," Seimei replied with a smile as he looked down at her.

"The Minamoto? Why were you with—watch out!"

Just as Yura was about to continue, she suddenly saw several six-eyed crows diving toward them from the distance. They were wreathed in sinister energy, clearly flying monsters that had escaped from the dungeon.

A sharp flash of golden light cut through the air, and the six-eyed crows were shredded into pieces before they could reach them. Following the golden light, Yura saw a young girl with bright yellow wings soaring through the sky.

"Thanks, Itsumaden..." Seimei called out cheerfully to the girl. She ignored him, continuing to soar through the air to hunt down other airborne monsters lost to madness.

"That is..."

Taking in the scene, Yura scanned the sky and realized that, at some point, many new and diverse flying yokai had appeared. These creatures were not tainted by the sinister energy; instead, they were actively hunting and killing the frenzied monsters across the sky and ground.

"Onmora-gaki, Black Skeleton Birds... and even an Itsumaden. Where did all these yokai come from? Why are they attacking the corrupted ones?" Yura asked, her expression filled with confusion. Seimei simply smiled in response.

"Just look down at Suzaku Avenue and you'll see."

"Suzaku Avenue?" Yura blinked, then followed his gaze. Her eyes widened in shock.

Below them, on the central axis of the capital, a long procession was marching from south to north along Suzaku Avenue. A thick, heavy demonic aura billowed from the group, making the already ghostly atmosphere of Heian-kyo feel even more frigid.

Upon the avenue, all manner of bizarre, clawed monsters were pouring through Rajomon into Heian-kyo, forming a unified vanguard as they advanced. Nekomata, Kappa, Tengu, Gaki... mountain spirits, evil entities, yokai beasts, and restless wraiths. Thousands of diverse beings of the night marched in a long, steady column. Countless floating ghost fires and Koroka lanterns illuminated their path and surroundings. They were noisy and boisterous, yet within the apparent chaos lay a sense of disciplined order. Any frenzied monsters drawn to the group were instantly torn to shreds upon approach.

"So... so many yokai! They all came from outside the city... what on earth is this?" Yura gasped, her mouth hanging open. Seimei continued to smile.

"Look at the very front of the line."

Yura followed his instruction and looked toward the head of the procession. There, several yokai with auras significantly more powerful than the rest were leading the way. And at the very front, she saw a familiar figure.

"That's... Owl..." Yura murmured, her mind flashing back to their time at Ogura Pond.

"Indeed. That is the One-Eyed Owl, and these are those he leads... the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."

...

On Suzaku Avenue, countless frenzied monsters lunged at the uninvited guests who had suddenly breached the capital, only to be cut down and torn apart by the gathered yokai. At the head of the column, the Tanuki smashed the skull of a dog yokai with his sake gourd, spat twice, and spoke with indignant disdain.

"Pah! This power again. It makes me sick!" Clearly, the sinister energy on these crazed monsters reminded the Tanuki of his encounter with that ancient warrior—a memory that was far from pleasant.

"Whoa~ Is this the inside of Heian-kyo? I've lived in Choyo-machi for so many years, but this is the first time I've been here. It's huge! Lord Owl, can we open a few more shops here?" The Cat Shop Owner looked around curiously, her eyes sparkling. Behind her followed the cat workers from her izakaya.

"A hundred demons entering the capital. Haha, this is truly a rare and magnificent sight. I'm glad I returned in time; it would have been a tragedy to miss this." After effortlessly beheading a Gaki, Nura Rihyon rested his blade against his shoulder and looked back at the gathered demons, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

"..." Menreiki remained silent, walking mutely beside Miketsu. Clad in black robes, Miketsu led the parade, her mind filled with a whirlwind of thoughts as she surveyed the chaotic city.

How many lives, she wondered, would wither away tonight?

A man in black hiding in the shadows of a roof watched the procession of demons as they ground their way through the frenzied monsters under Owl's leadership. A hateful expression crossed his face.

"Don't you dare think you can ruin Lord Yorimasa's plans, Owl!"

As the demon control token in the man's hand glowed, the Demon-Faced Centipede that had been slaughtering nearby suddenly froze. It immediately reared its body, looking south toward the approaching Night Parade, and let out a piercing shriek.

Thousands of leg segments, sharp as blades, drummed against the ground in a dense rhythm. The dozens-of-meters-long Demon-Faced Centipede charged from north to south along Suzaku Avenue, hurtling toward the hundred demons. The mouths of the demon faces along its body hung open, tongues like spikes extending from within, as a powerful demonic aura erupted from its form.

"Oh no, it's that move!" In the sky, Yura recognized the scene instantly, a memory of a moment that had nearly become a trauma for her six months ago. She instinctively tried to warn Owl, but the distance was too great for her voice to carry.

"That's... the Demon-Faced Centipede, isn't it? Quite a troublesome fellow."

"Yeah... and it looks like it's preparing some kind of big move. Anyway, get ready to fight." The Tanuki and Nura Rihyon spoke as they shifted into defensive stances, both watching the screeching centipede as it accelerated toward them.

Faced with the centipede's massive size and overwhelming aura, many of the lower-tier yokai in the parade showed signs of wavering. Unlike the crazed monsters, they were not consumed by sinister energy and still knew the meaning of fear.

The charging Demon-Faced Centipede suddenly took to the air, spinning at high speed. The spikes on its body churned the demonic aura into a high-velocity black tornado, carrying immense destructive force as it lunged at the Night Parade.

【Earth Dragon Needle Burst】...

Facing the centipede's thunderous assault, Nura Rihyon and the others gripped their weapons and braced themselves. It was clear to them that this attack could not be blocked head-on; if it continued its trajectory, the centipede would pierce through the entire procession from beginning to end, crushing everything in its path.

"Get out of the way!"

"No need..."

As Nura Rihyon shouted, he was interrupted by Miketsu’s low, steady voice. Amidst the panic behind her, she stepped forward twice, her sharp tachi already unsheathed and held in her hand.

"Lord Owl..."

"Do not be alarmed. You need only stand behind me."

With those words, Miketsu extended her hand, holding the Blade of the Three Realms vertically before her. Ignoring the frantic warnings from Yura in the distance, Miketsu stood directly in the path of the encroaching black tornado, its drill-like tip already inches from her.

A wild gale buffeted Miketsu’s black robes. Facing the oncoming vortex, she remained entirely unmoved. She did not even release any demonic energy in response; instead, she simply delivered a vertical slash into the air. With her tachi, she cleaved through the demonic tornado and struck the head of the Demon-Faced Centipede.

In that instant, fueled by both the centipede's own forward momentum and the sheer force of Miketsu's strike, the massive head was split open. But it didn't stop there; the centipede's high-speed rotation carried it forward, driving its own body onto the sharp blade. The creature was literally split in two from head to tail, its bifurcated corpse flying past Miketsu's shoulders due to its remaining kinetic energy and crashing onto the sides of Suzaku Avenue, flanking the parade.

Without manifesting any external power, Miketsu had utilized a single, ordinary strike backed by Kishin power. Combined with the centipede's own charging force, she had sliced the opponent into two long halves in a single breath.

Witnessing this, the previously panicked crowd of yokai fell into a stunned silence. After a brief pause, a thunderous cheer erupted from the group. The bizarre cries of a thousand different monsters intertwined, forming a howl that reverberated throughout Heian-kyo. For a moment, even the frenzied monsters were instinctively frozen in place by the sound, while the human onmyoji were left utterly dumbfounded.

In the world of yokai, strength is respected, worshipped, and followed. Having a leader with such formidable power filled them with incomparable excitement.

Amidst the cheers, Miketsu turned around, flicked the blood from her blade, and spoke in a tone different from her usual voice, her words ringing out loud and clear.

"My hundred demons, you who are willing to follow me—heed my command! Spread throughout Heian-kyo and clear away those monsters tainted by that vile power. End their miserable fates with all your strength!"

"Now, let us begin... the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons within this capital!"