Owl

"Damn, that's ruthless!"

Seeing the scene before her, Miketsu, hidden beneath her black robe, couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She had only been speaking casually, just testing the waters, but she never expected the other party to actually chop it off, and so decisively at that. This blue-haired one is truly ruthless!

Although Miketsu was grumbling inwardly, she truly felt a sense of relief when she saw the leopard cat yokai's arm severed.

At least for now, she didn't have to worry about the wound revealing anything unusual.

"Ahhh! Tor... Lord Torin! Lord Torin, you..." Seeing his arm severed, the burly leopard cat yokai wailed loudly. He had not expected such a outcome at all.

"Stop wailing... This esteemed guest merely took one of your arms; it's punishment for your meddling hands." Torin said in a deep, cold voice, staring at his subordinate beside him. In his opinion, for a yokai of the opponent's strength, such a request was not unreasonable. If they were more ruthless, let alone an arm, even his life wouldn't be spared.

After all, this is the world of yokai; no amount of cruelty is too much...

Hearing this, Miketsu felt a little relieved. Not wanting to continue the conversation and risk revealing herself, she sat back down in her seat, indicating that she would not concern herself with these matters.

Seeing Miketsu's attitude, Torin also let out a sigh of relief. The opponent's meaning was that they would not pursue the matter further. Everything that needed to be done had been done, and there was no need for them to stay any longer.

"Let's go!"

Shouting to his subordinates around him, Torin led them towards the door. The leopard cat yokai whose arm had been severed also meekly followed behind.

Just as Torin reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped, stood still, turned around, looked at Miketsu, and said.

"I am Torin, a yokai general under Lord Oyakata of Mount Nukazuka in Harima. May I ask your esteemed name?"

Sitting upright, Miketsu's heart immediately tensed up upon hearing Torin's words. At this moment, she suddenly found herself in the same predicament as when she faced Yura in Heian-kyo the day before yesterday.

Asked for a name, but she hadn't thought of one at all. She had to come up with one on the spot.

Unlike last time, this time she needed a yokai name, not a human name.

What kind of name would a yokai have? I haven't even encountered many yokai! And what kind of yokai should I be with this appearance?

Just as Miketsu was in a tangled mess internally, a name gradually surfaced in her mind. This name, like Asakura Hao before it, came from an anime she had watched previously. She vaguely remembered that a certain non-human character's attire in that anime seemed similar to her current appearance.

Miketsu, sitting in her seat, raised her head and stared at Torin, who was standing at the doorway, with her single crimson eye from beneath the shadow of her hood. She spoke in a hoarse, deep voice.

"Owl."

Hearing Miketsu's reply, Torin nodded slightly. After a farewell, he turned and walked out of the shop door, leaving the izakaya, his subordinates all pouring out with him.

"Lor- Lord Torin... my hand..."

The burly leopard cat yokai came to Torin's side with a tear-streaked face, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.

"What are you wailing about... When we return to Harima, just eat a few people and it'll grow back, won't it?" Torin said coldly, not even glancing at his subordinate.

"Then, why not eat now..."

"Eating people right under the Onmyoryo's nose? Aren't we in enough trouble already!?"

After being reprimanded by Torin, the burly leopard cat yokai meekly said nothing more and retreated to the side.

Arriving on the riverbank outside the shop, Torin stood still. He looked at the flickering lights floating above the river and silently muttered the name the black-robed yokai had just given.

"Owl... The One-Eyed Owl..."

"Heh heh, Heian-kyo truly is different. This small Choyo-machi actually hides such a fellow..."

The leopard cat yokai left, leaving behind several overturned tables and a damaged doorframe. However, the atmosphere inside the izakaya didn't lighten much. All the yokai were sweating, staring intently at Miketsu, who sat at her table, not daring to utter a single word.

When did Choyo-machi get such a ruthless character? To dare challenge a yokai general directly, and for the general to back down!

For a moment, all the yokai were speculating about the origins of this yokai named Owl, but since the individual was still present, no one dared to openly discuss it, fearing they might offend them and end up like the leopard cat yokai before.

Miketsu, sitting in her seat, sensed that the atmosphere inside the izakaya was off. Hadn't those cat yokai already left? Why were they still so silent? And why were they still staring at her?

Thinking this, Miketsu looked around, her crimson single eye sweeping over the yokai. All the yokai she looked at shivered, turning their gaze away, not daring to look directly at Miketsu. Their reaction left Miketsu utterly bewildered.

What's wrong with them? Am I that scary? My attire shouldn't be enough to frighten you strange-looking yokai, right?

Facing this confusing situation, Miketsu decided to eat something to calm down. When she turned to look at the table in front of her, she found only an empty meal box that had been finished long ago.

It was then that Miketsu realized she had already finished everything earlier. Just as she was about to order another portion, this inexplicable situation occurred, with that strange cat stomping angrily towards her.

After all that... she didn't even get to order her food.

At this moment, the Cat Shop Owner keenly noticed this. She abruptly slapped the large orange cat beside her, which was still in a daze, and said.

"Kino... hurry up and make another portion for the guest!"

The plump orange cat suddenly came to its senses and quickly scurried into the kitchen, while the Cat Shop Owner immediately began tidying up the izakaya.

"Hurry up and get to work, clean things up! We still have business to do!"

As the Cat Shop Owner urged the cats, who had been frightened into various corners, to get to work, the previously tense atmosphere in the izakaya slowly eased. The original yokai customers began to quietly discuss the recent events, and some yokai chose to quickly settle their bills, eager to spread the news to others in the town.

Meanwhile, the Cat Shop Owner, while tidying up, subtly approached Konkiku, who was standing dazedly. She squatted down and quietly asked her.

"Hey... you stinky fox, where did you find a guest who can challenge a yokai general..."