Entering the Capital

In Heian-kyo, the sun was setting, and as twilight approached, the blood-red rays of the sinking sun gradually vanished behind the mountains. For the humans and yokai living here, a clear day was ending, and night would soon descend.

Under the glow of the setting sun, Heian-kyo, with its densely packed houses, looked peaceful. The orderly and wide streets were visible from a great distance.

"Meow! Is that Heian-kyo? It's huge! Can humans really build cities like that, woof?"

From a hill far from Heian-kyo, a slightly youthful voice rang out. At the top of that hill, a figure with a cat's head and a human body stood looking into the distance, filled with curiosity. He was about half the height of a man, with yellow-striped fur, wearing a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat. He carried a bundle of luggage, and his fluffy dog tail, which swayed behind him, was matted with grass and mud. He looked every bit the long-distance traveler.

"Phew... thank goodness, meow. I made it to Heian-kyo before dark. If I move fast and find the Inari Honsha, I won't have to sleep outside again. This journey's hardships are half-over... no, it's only half-over once I see Lady Uka, woof." Continuing to gaze at Heian-kyo in the distance, the traveler let out a long sigh of relief. It was clear he had traveled from a very distant place.

This seemingly unconventional cat-traveler was not a yokai; his name was Enokoneko, and he was a wild god from Echizen Province. He had come to Heian-kyo specifically to visit the legendary true Inari deity, Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami.

Enokoneko was originally a wild god evolved from a cat yokai of impure blood in Echizen. As one of the eight million gods, he relied on collecting human faith in Echizen to maintain his status and power. He was worshipped by a village as a deity who could bring wealth and good fortune. He had a simple shrine and was known locally as 'Inu-Neko-sama.' He spent his days competing for faith with neighboring wild gods, fighting local yokai, and occasionally playing tricks on disrespectful humans, living a relatively stable and pleasant life.

However, all of that changed. A few years ago, from the southwest, a power of faith known as Inari began to spread. It rapidly consumed and expanded into the territories of other wild gods, growing stronger as it moved. It was an unstoppable force that soon reached the edge of the village that worshipped Enokoneko. His own believers began to talk constantly about the miraculous Lord Inari, giving Enokoneko a strong sense of crisis.

Faced with this situation, Enokoneko's first thought was to resist the expansion of this unknown deity's faith. However, once he encountered and understood the Inari faith, he immediately realized that resistance was impossible.

The Inari faith was centered in Heian-kyo within the Kinki region and had rapidly expanded outward in recent years. It had already spread throughout Kinki years ago and was now quickly penetrating other surrounding areas. For instance, between Echizen and Kinki lay Wakasa Province; the Inari faith had spread through all of Wakasa in just a few years after leaving Kinki before entering Echizen.

Enokoneko was surprised to discover that the 'Inari Okami' in the Inari faith did not refer to a single deity. Instead, it was led by the orthodox goddess Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami and included over a hundred wild gods. Most of the wild gods whose faith had been consumed by the Inari faith eventually became new Inari deities under the name of Inari.

This was one of the reasons the Inari faith expanded so quickly. It could accept other wild gods into the fold of the Inari name. As long as they regularly contributed a portion of their faith, they could collect faith as a deity under the name of Inari. The Inari faith unified countless wild gods who were originally isolated and fighting each other into a single whole.

Under the Inari faith, these once-isolated wild gods formed a united front to expand their territory of faith together. This effectively put immense pressure on other wild gods; they were simply unable to compete with such a massive unified entity. If you can't beat them, join them.

Thus, as the Inari faith expanded, more and more wild gods actively merged into the Inari name, which in turn strengthened the influence of the faith itself. This created a snowball effect, where the scale of the Inari faith grew larger and faster as it rolled along.

"This time, I must see Lady Uka and obtain the qualification to become an Inari deity! That way, I won't have to worry about fighting those guys for faith anymore! For the name of Inari and the fox Divine Messenger, meow! Do your best, Enokoneko, woof!"

Looking at Heian-kyo in the distance, Enokoneko clenched his paws and cheered himself on. After understanding the nature of the Inari faith, he had decided without hesitation to become an Inari deity himself, lest his neighbors beat him to it. Therefore, after making up his mind, Enokoneko resolutely set out on a journey of a thousand miles to Heian-kyo to find Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami at the legendary Inari Honsha. She was the true Inari deity; only by passing her trial could he become a member of the Inari and be granted a symbolic fox Divine Messenger.

Seeing the sun about to set, Enokoneko hurried down the mountain, planning to pick up his pace and reach the Inari Honsha before dark.

However, as he was descending, a sudden movement caught his attention. From a patch of grass directly in his path, a series of strange sounds emerged—it sounded like very rapid, heavy breathing.

"Is there something up ahead?"

With a hint of doubt, Enokoneko pushed aside the grass to look, and the scene that met his eyes left him stunned.

Behind the grass was a clearing, and on that clearing was a 'beast' on all fours, its body shrouded in a purple-black mist that obscured its form. This beast was currently devouring a massive baboon. The baboon's throat had been torn open, and its yokai body was being greedily ripped apart and consumed by the beast.

'Is this... yokai cannibalism? Are the yokai in Heian-kyo always this intense, woof?'

Seeing this, Enokoneko was shocked. He immediately categorized the scene as yokai killing and eating each other, even though he didn't sense much demonic energy.

'Forget it, I should leave quickly. It's better not to look at such things, meow...'

Thinking this, Enokoneko started to walk toward the other side to leave. At that moment, the 'beast' devouring the yokai corpse suddenly turned its head. From beneath the black smoke, a terrifying, murderous light stared at Enokoneko, who was about to depart. Blood dripped from its obscured mouth onto the ground, sending a chill down Enokoneko's spine.

'Oh no, I've been spotted? Can this guy see me inside the divine realm, meow?! Or is it because it's Oma-ga-toki, woof?!'

While Enokoneko was still in shock, the 'beast' wrapped in purple-black smoke leaped up and lunged toward him with incredible speed. Terrified, Enokoneko immediately conjured several fire bullets and shot them at the 'beast,' but it easily dodged them all. Panicking, Enokoneko tried to flee but tripped over a stone, and in an instant, the 'beast' was upon him.

Swish!

With a flash of a blade, the lunging 'beast' was sent flying a great distance, landing heavily on the ground. In Enokoneko's eyes, the silhouette of a youth holding a sword was now reflected.

His long, white-gold hair stood up and swept back dramatically. He wore a yukai loosely, and an irreverent smile played on his handsome face, which bore faint markings under his eyes.

Exuding an air of carefree liberation, Nura Rihyon, holding his blade, looked at Enokoneko crouching on the ground and spoke contemptuously.

"Oh... and here I was wondering what it was. Just another little wild god coming to the capital for his 'exams.'"

As he spoke, Nura Rihyon turned his gaze toward the black-misted 'beast' that was starting to climb back up.

"But your timing might be a bit off. Lately, Heian-kyo has been... a little unsettled."