Secret Lore

“Secret Lore Yokai… Yokai creation… such an ability exists?” On the eastern island’s coast, atop a reef, the Lord of Arakawa watched Yamakaze and Ao Andon confronting each other not far away, his brows furrowing as he spoke. Beside him, Kingyohime’s mouth was agape in astonishment.

“Big sister said she’s the Lord of Hyakumonogatari? What’s Hyakumonogatari?”

“In human legends, people gather on summer nights, light a hundred candles, and take turns telling a ghost story. After each story, one candle is extinguished, but they must stop at the ninety-ninth candle. It’s said that if the hundredth candle is extinguished, terrifying things will happen…” Miketsu, from the other side, answered Kingyohime. Having lived in Heian-kyo for over ten years, she had heard almost all the various strange tales circulating among humans, or rather, the prototypes of most of those tales were her subordinates.

“Hyakumonogatari, eh? Hmph, those humans really enjoy creating such boring things when idle. I think that Ao Andon might be related to the so-called hundredth ghost story.” The Lord of Arakawa said with a cold snort, fanning himself.

“Heh, a yokai born from ghost stories and secret lore, whose ability is to manipulate ghost stories and secret lore themselves…” Miketsu muttered to herself, gazing at Ao Andon in the distance, though inwardly she was still complaining.

It’s one thing for you to summon yokai using secret lore, but why does it feel like you’re playing cards?!

…

Returning to the battlefield between Ao Andon and Yamakaze, after the combination of the earth-bound spirit and Nurikabe was defeated by Yamakaze, Ao Andon immediately chose to summon a more powerful yokai. With a flick of her hand in the void, another card appeared. She flipped it over, revealing a two-tailed fox demon depicted on its face.

“Legend says that in Kai, there is Dream Mountain, and on Dream Mountain, a white fox presides over a temple. Secret Lore Summoning, Hakuzosu!” As the card in Ao Andon’s hand glowed, a large, two-tailed white fox appeared before her and fiercely lunged at Yamakaze.

Yamakaze easily dodged the white fox’s fiery claws, then counter-attacked with two slashes to the upper part of its arm. As if accompanied by a beast’s howl, two huge bloody gashes were torn into the white fox’s body. The white fox howled and retreated several steps. Seeing this, Ao Andon’s brows furrowed slightly.

Though not as strong as its true form, the Secret Lore Hakuzosu’s defense could still be considered top-tier among yokai. Yet, Yamakaze had easily inflicted severe damage. Connecting this with Nurikabe’s earlier fate, Ao Andon had some thoughts.

“Those twin blades, they’re less like blades and more like claws. The demonic power entwined around them tears apart whatever they strike like a saw. Heh, truly dangerous blades. It seems direct defense won’t work…”

As Ao Andon pondered, she commanded Hakuzosu to open its mouth, continuously spitting out several demonic flame Bullets at Yamakaze. Yamakaze easily dodged them, and the demonic flame Bullets exploded on the ground, raising clouds of diffusing dust. Seeing this, Yamakaze leaped back several steps and vanished into the continuously spreading dust.

“Roar!”

Accompanied by a faint, indistinct beast’s roar, Yamakaze’s figure flashed out from a strange angle within the dust, swiftly slashing past the white fox from the side before disappearing back into the dust. The howling white fox again bore two deep bloody gashes. It immediately spat several demonic flame Bullets in the direction Yamakaze had vanished, but they only exploded on the ground, adding more dust to the air.

Another surprise attack. The ghostly Yamakaze briefly reappeared, swept past the white fox, and vanished into the dust again. This time, after receiving several more deep bloody gashes, the white fox could no longer withstand the attacks and dissipated into a blue light. The card in Ao Andon’s hand also became transparent and faded away.

This was not over. The dust on the field had not dispersed but continued to spread, closing in on Ao Andon. Seeing Hakuzosu’s demise, a sense of crisis expanded in Ao Andon’s heart. Her expression hardened, and she drew another card. This time, the card depicted black wings, fallen trees, and flying debris.

“Legend says that when a Tengu passes, hats fly into the sky. Secret Lore Reappears, Tengu Wind!”

On the barren island, a fierce gust of wind swirled up, blowing away the dust approaching Ao Andon. What appeared after the dust cleared was Yamakaze, sprinting towards Ao Andon.

Seeing the concealing dust blown away, Yamakaze was slightly surprised. Moreover, due to the Tengu Wind blowing fiercely against him, his speed towards Ao Andon significantly slowed. At this moment, Yamakaze was very close to Ao Andon, but still not within striking distance.

Looking at the revealed Yamakaze, Ao Andon smiled faintly. Facing Yamakaze, who was almost upon her, she did not dodge, but waited there for him, for she had invisibly controlled a blade, sending it to strike the approaching Yamakaze.

“Clang!!” The sound of steel clashing rang out. At the last moment, Yamakaze blocked with his sword, parrying a blade striking at him. Then, Yamakaze glanced sideways and saw a humanoid yokai standing beside him, seemingly out of nowhere.

That yokai was an old man in human form, wearing a kimono, with a strange face, and a very distorted, elongated back of his head. He held a katana, which Yamakaze had just blocked. Seeing this yokai’s attack parried, Ao Andon’s expression suddenly turned to one of astonishment.

“What…”

“Secret Lore Yokai, Slippery Nura? You summoned and hid a Secret Lore Yokai by your side from the beginning, waiting for me to get close and let my guard down, then ambush me, right? Truly cunning. But to deceive a top hunter like me with sensory tricks, a mere Slippery Nura is far from enough…” Yamakaze said calmly, looking at the astonished Ao Andon. He had been wary ever since the pebbles he had shot earlier were inexplicably blocked.

“Swish!”

With a flash of a blade, the detected Slippery Nura dissipated into a blue light. Yamakaze, however, did not end his assault. He immediately took two steps forward, directly slashing at Ao Andon, who was close by and still in astonishment.

Struck by the fierce demonic blade, Ao Andon’s delicate body was diagonally torn into two, then, amidst a flash of blue light, vanished into nothingness. But the astonishment in her eyes had now transferred to Yamakaze’s face.

“This one too… a Secret Lore Yokai?”

“Secret Lore Reappears, Gassho Jizo!”

In the space, Ao Andon’s voice echoed out of nowhere. Then, the ground where Yamakaze stood suddenly shattered, and two giant stone hands broke through the earth, clapping together from both sides towards Yamakaze. Caught off guard, Yamakaze evaded but still had one leg caught.

“Tsk tsk, it’s a pity you weren’t completely crushed. As expected of a top hunter, possessing keen intuition.”

Listening to Ao Andon’s words from the space, Yamakaze’s brows furrowed. He didn’t rush to free himself, but spoke into the air.

“You… can actually summon yourself…”

“That’s right… after all, I myself have secret lore circulating in the world, so being able to summon myself is only natural. Fighting Yokai Lords head-on with my true form would be far too dangerous. So… what will you do now that your movements are restricted, Forest King! Second Clap!”

Following Ao Andon’s words, the ground on both sides of Yamakaze shattered again, and a pair of even larger stone hands clapped towards him. Yamakaze showed no fear. He plunged his blade into the rock in front of him, then infused it with a massive amount of demonic power.

“Great power of the forest… heed my call, reappear here!”

Dazzling green light shimmered on Yamakaze’s sword, and immense life-demonic power was poured into the barren rock. Then, roots and trees burst forth from the rock.