The Blue Flames

At dusk in Heian-kyo, on a hill in the southern outskirts, the wild god Enokoneko—who had traveled all the way from Echizen—was attacked by a mysterious creature. Ultimately, he was saved by a handsome yokai youth with pale-gold hair. Staring at the youth's striking, swept-back hairstyle, Enokoneko felt as if he should recognize him, yet the memory eluded him.

"You... You are..."

"It’s not the time for introductions. There are more pressing matters to attend to." Slippery Nura spoke as he shifted his gaze forward. There stood the "Beast," a creature entirely shrouded in a violet-dark mist. It was already struggling to its feet. The blood that had splattered across the ground when Slippery Nura slashed it was now being drawn back toward it by a strange force. Every drop flowed back onto the creature's body without leaving a trace on the earth. Because of the obscuring dark smoke, Slippery Nura couldn't discern the specific changes occurring to the Beast's form.

'Blood reflux? Is it self-healing? Does it have some kind of super-recovery ability? Also, when I struck it just now, I didn't cut through it; I merely sent it flying. It seems to have incredibly hard spots on its body. Tsk... this black mist is a nuisance. It’s impossible to judge its condition...' Slippery Nura thought, his brow furrowing slightly. Though his stance was one of high alert, his tone remained dismissive.

"I take it you're the one responsible for the bloodbaths these past few days? If you're smart, you'll surrender quietly. If we kill you now, we might at least let your soul find its way. Otherwise, we’ll hand you over to the Onmyoji in the capital. Those fellows won't let a single useful bit of a vicious man-eater like you go to waste..."

Slippery Nura pointed his sword at the Beast as he spoke leisurely. However, the creature showed no intention of listening. Instead, it lowered its front half and emitted a strange sound, settling into an aggressive posture.

"No intelligence? You can't understand me? Heh... I hope you're not just a puppet."

Slippery Nura increased his vigilance as he spoke. But just as he prepared to counter an attack, the Beast suddenly spun around and bolted, leaving Slippery Nura momentarily stunned.

"It’s trying to run! Damn it!"

Seeing this, Slippery Nura gave chase. However, the creature's speed was clearly superior to his. In an instant, it reached the edge of the dense forest, poised to vanish into the pitch-black shadows of the trees.

Just then, a long cry echoed from the sky. A dark, swift shadow plummeted toward the Beast, plunging sharp claws into the flesh beneath the black smoke.

As the Beast attempted its escape, Makoto, clad in black martial attire, arrived with the speed of a gale. She dug her claws deep into the creature's flesh, halting its flight. The Beast within the black smoke immediately let out a piteous wail.

Just as Makoto was about to lift the creature into the air to completely incapacitate it, the struggling Beast suddenly erupted in blue flames. Startled, Makoto released her grip, letting it fall. To her surprise, the blue fire surged violently the moment the Beast hit the ground, then quickly subsided. Once the flames vanished, there was no sign of the creature left.

"Self-combustion? No... this is..."

Makoto murmured in confusion. Slippery Nura, having caught up at full speed, arrived just in time to witness the Beast vanishing into the blue fire. He stood there in a daze, staring at the slightly scorched grass.

"The thing can self-immolate? Tsk, we finally found a lead on its movements. I wanted to capture it and get to the bottom of this, but it ends like this..." Slippery Nura's voice was thick with irritation. He then turned his gaze toward the nearby corpse of a baboon yokai, which had been mostly devoured.

"That's Benihimaru, the sake seller from the river bridge... Sigh. Counting humans and yokai alike, he’s the ninth victim. This hunt has been giving me a massive headache for days. I just hope the damn thing is dead for good so I can give everyone an answer." Slippery Nura scratched his head and sighed. Beside him, Makoto’s expression was grave.

"I hope so too, but unfortunately, the possibility of it being dead is slim. Those flames burned too fast and too cleanly, leaving nothing behind. It’s very suspicious," Makoto said solemnly. Hearing her words, Slippery Nura’s expression darkened as well.

"Yeah... you’re right. I don't believe a creature that killed so many humans and yokai would just disappear like that. But now the trail has gone cold again. How we proceed is going to be a problem." Slippery Nura scratched his head, looking perplexed. Makoto pondered for a moment before speaking again as if she had realized something.

"Don't you think... those flames looked a bit familiar?"

"Familiar? You mean the blue flames?" Slippery Nura looked at her suspiciously. After thinking intensely for a moment, his eyes suddenly widened.

"Blue fire that burns incredibly fast and makes whatever it covers vanish instantly... That’s exactly what happens when Onmyoji summon or dismiss their Shikigami!" Slippery Nura slapped his forehead as the realization struck him. In the decade or so he had spent in Heian-kyo, he had dealt with Onmyoji many times. The phenomenon he just witnessed was strikingly similar to the blue flames that accompanied a Shikigami’s arrival or departure.

"Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking..." Makoto nodded in agreement.

"Heh, if that’s the case... then the severity of this situation just went up several notches," Slippery Nura said, his expression turning even more serious despite his light chuckle.

"In any case, this is no small matter. Regardless of whether it's true, we need to report to the Great General immediately."

"Right, I’m with you. But if we’re going to see the Great General..." Slippery Nura replied, turning his head toward another direction. Over there, the cat-headed deity with a dog's tail was shouldering his luggage, preparing to sneak away.

"Hey! You over there, little wild god! You’re just going to leave without saying thank you after being saved?"

"Meow-woof! N-no, that's not it, My Lord! I am truly grateful for your life-saving grace, but I saw you were both busy and weren't paying me any mind, so I thought I shouldn't disturb you. Besides, I'm in a bit of a hurry..." Enokoneko waved his hands frantically, explaining in a panic.

"Heh, no need for thanks now. You crossed paths with that thing and were the first to discover it. We need to ask you some questions in detail. Come with us now to see the Great General."

"The Great General? The leader of the Kyoto yokai? Could that be..." Enokoneko’s face turned pale. He swallowed hard and stuttered out the titles that existed only in legends.

"The Yokai Shogun... the Grand Commander of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons... the One-Eyed Owl...?"

"Heh... isn't it obvious? In this entire Kinki region, is there anyone else who dares to use the title 'Great General'?"

Hearing Slippery Nura's confirmation, Enokoneko felt a chill as if he had fallen into an ice hole. His face looked like he was about to burst into tears, and his heart screamed in despair.

'I came to Heian-kyo to see Lady Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami! Not to meet some super-dangerous Yokai Lord of the demon realm! Please, just let me go!'