Arrival at Rito

Makoto flew through the sky. Below her were countless small boats heading toward Rito. Every so often, the yokai on board were extorted for their wealth; those who couldn't pay were tossed directly into the sea.

Ignoring the commotion along the way, Miketsu rode Makoto forward. Before her, the demon soldiers belonging to Sanmen-oni scattered and made way, none daring to block their path. Before long, as the sun in the west sank completely below the horizon, Miketsu finally saw the glow of fires on the sea ahead.

Coming to meet Miketsu were glowing red lanterns floating upon the waves. As the lanterns flashed past, the brilliance ahead grew ever more magnificent. Soon, the sea beneath Makoto vanished, replaced by a forest of buildings and the streets they formed. The newly lit lamps of dusk adorned the early night sky.

This was an island covered in various wooden structures. At its center stood a massive building dozens of meters high, resembling a castle keep or a tenshu. The front of the tower was carved with a giant demon mask, and layers of railings and eaves stacked upward like a pagoda. Radiating from this central tower was a spider-web-like network of orderly streets, lined with rows of brightly lit buildings. These structures branched out toward the island's edges, and once the island itself was fully covered, they continued to expand into the shallow waters on wooden pilings and floorboards. Eventually, the built-up area became even larger than the island itself.

Across this vast island, countless floating lanterns and the lights from the buildings themselves illuminated the night. Legions of gaudily dressed yokai beckoned to passersby. Wide stages were set up where crowds gathered, featuring beautiful dancers whose performances drew roars of approval. Occasionally, a battered yokai—sometimes even missing limbs—could be seen howling as they were thrown out of a noisy casino, only to be immediately skewered by patrolling demon soldiers and tossed into the sea.

Is this Rito? As expected of a place developed over several decades... the greatest pleasure district in the demon realm of this land. It’s even larger than the recently risen Choyo-machi... Miketsu thought as she gazed at the lively scene below. Just then, the eye of Dodomeki flying ahead of her spoke.

"We're almost there, Owl General. Please keep up for this last stretch." With that, the eye of Dodomeki accelerated toward the central tower. Makoto immediately sped up to follow, landing by the railings of one of the middle floors.

"I’ve kept you waiting, Owl General..." Standing by the railing, Dodomeki spoke with a smile as she watched Miketsu fly in. The eyeball that had served as Miketsu's guide quickly shrank and returned to Dodomeki's hand. With a chuckle, she pressed it back into her eye socket, displacing the eye that was already there.

Makoto flapped her wings to decelerate rapidly, coming to a steady halt behind the railing where Dodomeki stood. Beside Dodomeki, a demon-faced yokai holding a paper umbrella and wearing loose, opulent clothing stepped forward, a twisted, flattering smile squeezed onto his hideous face.

"Oh my, welcome, General of Heian-kyo! I am the master of this place, Sanmen-oni. To be able to witness your glory today is truly a..." Just as the yokai named Sanmen-oni was about to step forward and offer his sycophantic praise, his gaze was instantly drawn to the shimmering, magnificent feathers on Makoto's body. Looking at the elegant and beautiful bright yellow bird before him, Sanmen-oni's mouth fell open.

"This—could this be an Itsumaden! And a living one at that! Are these the legendary Golden Feathers..." As he spoke, an irrepressible glint of greed erupted from Sanmen-oni's eyes. Sensing that familiar gaze, Makoto immediately showed an expression of disgust. Just as Sanmen-oni instinctively reached out to touch her feathers, a dark shadow suddenly dropped between him and Makoto. When the crimson, single eye beneath Miketsu's hood glared at him, an undeniable fear surged from the depths of Sanmen-oni's heart.

"Waaah!" Sanmen-oni cried out in surprise, stumbling back several steps before falling to the ground. When he looked up at Miketsu in terror, he found that the fear had suddenly vanished.

"This is Makoto, my subordinate. Do you have something to say, Master of Rito?" Miketsu spoke calmly and indifferently, looking down at the panicked Sanmen-oni on the floor. After a moment of daze, Sanmen-oni scrambled to his feet, bowing with a forced smile.

"Hahaha, of course not. For the General to have such a rare and precious bird of the world as a subordinate is truly a testament to your wisdom and might. I merely wished to admire the General's collection just now. If I have offended you, please allow me to offer my apologies later."

Sanmen-oni's attitude was extremely sincere. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he bowed, the tremor in his heart not yet fully subsided. Just now, when he had locked eyes with Miketsu, a bone-chilling killing intent had terrified him to the point of nearly losing control. In his fall, he realized he had almost invited a fatal disaster because of his greed. Only after being jolted by that killing intent did he remember that he was facing a yokai general who had carved out a territory within the Onmyoji's domain—a figure even the human court had to rely on.

That guy... he didn't even release any demonic power, yet he scared Sanmen-oni like that with just killing intent? Although Sanmen-oni isn't much in terms of strength, he's seen his fair share of the world...

Standing to the side, Dodomeki also frowned deeply. Clearly, the scene just now had exceeded her expectations. While it was common for powerful yokai to release massive demonic power to intimidate the weak, doing so with mere killing intent was quite difficult.

"Lead the way..."

"Yes! General, please follow me..."

Seeing that the Owl before him didn't press the matter, Sanmen-oni breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately turned to lead the way for Miketsu. Behind her, Makoto transformed into her human form and followed Miketsu as they walked into the building. At that moment, Makoto's voice reached Miketsu's ears through their contract.

Thank you, Lady Uka...

Just now, Miketsu had used killing intent to deter Sanmen-oni from touching Makoto. However, that killing intent did not belong to Miketsu; she had borrowed it from Dakini-ten. The killing intent of an Asura-like demonic god who had slaughtered countless beings was not something an ordinary yokai could withstand.

Passing through long, opulently decorated corridors, Miketsu followed Sanmen-oni's lead. Before long, Sanmen-oni spoke.

"It's just ahead. This is the gathering of Yokai Lords, and the place arranged for all of you. Currently, besides the General, there is only one other guest waiting there."

"One? Who is it?"

"It is the new master of Mount Nukazuka and all of Harima, who rose just a month ago to replace the former Leopard Cat Lord... the Lord of the Dog Clan, Lord Toga..."