The Nura Clan and the Reluctant Heir

Behind the Inari Shrine on Mount Kagami-oboro, in a clearing covered with fallen leaves, Miketsu sat on a mat, drinking tea with the tall yokai Mori-bozu, who had come to pay his respects. From Mori-bozu, Miketsu gradually began to understand the reasons for the current chaos in the Tokyo demon realm.

"Is the chaos in the Tokyo demon realm caused by the decline of the Nura Clan?" Miketsu murmured as she listened to Mori-bozu. The name 'Nura' touched upon some of her own memories.

"Yes. You are still young and have only recently taken office as the Inari God, so you may not be fully aware of certain matters in the demon realm... The Nura Clan is a yokai organization that has ruled this city since the early Edo period." As Mori-bozu spoke, he slowly looked toward the sky, seemingly reminiscing about the past.

"Using the character for 'fear' as their crest and yokai ninkyo as their code, they lead over five hundred large and small yokai gangs throughout Edo and even half of Kanto. Their direct and indirect subordinates numbered over a hundred thousand. They remained powerful for over four hundred years—the true overlords of the Kanto demon realm!" Mori-bozu explained to Miketsu. He gestured animatedly as he spoke, appearing quite excited, though he immediately corrected his posture once he realized his lapse.

"Ahem, excuse my loss of composure. After all, this poor monk followed the Nura Clan in his youth, so I get a bit worked up when talking about these things." After a couple of dry coughs, Mori-bozu spoke with some embarrassment. Opposite him, Miketsu nodded slightly, then continued to question him with a serious expression.

"If that is the case, and the Nura Clan is the cornerstone of stability in the Tokyo demon realm, how did they fall into decline? Was their leader assassinated?"

"Mmm... you could say that..." Upon hearing Miketsu's question, Mori-bozu's previously excited mood plummeted. He took a sip of tea and spoke in a heavy tone.

"The Nura Clan was founded by the First Head, but it reached its zenith during the era of the Second Head, Nura Rihan. Lord Rihan was an outstanding leader, in no way inferior to the First Head. Under his rule, the Nura Clan's influence radiated across most of Kanto, and the entire Edo demon realm enjoyed long-lasting stability.

"Even during the Showa era, when the human realm's military government executed their so-called 'Unity of the Three Realms, Unification of the Empire' plan and launched a massive invasion of the demon realm, it was Lord Rihan who led us to face the enemy together... But alas, fate is unpredictable. Just a few years ago, Lord Rihan suddenly suffered an assassination from an unknown source and passed away in his prime... It is truly a pity."

Mori-bozu shook his head with a dejected look. Hearing his words, Miketsu couldn't help but frown slightly.

"An assassination from an unknown source? They don't even know who the killer is?"

"No one knows. It is said that Lord Rihan was killed not far from the main residence. Only those in the Nura main house know the specific details, but they have never revealed any information to the outside. We don't even know where to go for revenge. It's enough to make this poor monk fume!" As Mori-bozu spoke, he slammed his fist onto the ground. He realized this was the Inari Shrine just as he was about to shatter the floorboards and hastily pulled back his strength.

"After Lord Rihan's mysterious death, the Nura Clan's prestige plummeted, and their ability to control the Tokyo demon realm weakened significantly. Without a powerful figure to suppress them, the various groups under their command began to harbor their own schemes. What started as covert intrigue slowly evolved into the current open struggle for power. They fight each other for territory, and many groups have begun to openly declare their independence from the Nura Clan, acting recklessly without restraint. Many small gangs formed by new yokai are taking this opportunity to turn against their masters, just like the Akashiki did." Mori-bozu took another sip of tea, sighed, and continued.

"Furthermore, due to the explosion in the human population and the increasing social pressure, the number of malicious spirits added to the demon realm each year is growing. Normally, these malicious spirits are managed, absorbed, or purged by the various yokai gangs. But because these gangs are busy with internal strife, no one is looking after them. The pressure has suddenly fallen onto the Onmyo Agency and the Inari Shrine. Naturally, they cannot manage so many malicious spirits. Lord Inaba, you have been the Inari God for several days now; you should be able to feel the abnormalities in the current Tokyo demon realm."

Mori-bozu turned the question back to Miketsu. Miketsu nodded silently in response, then shifted the topic.

"Since the Nura Clan is in such chaos, what about Rihyon? He can't be gone, can he?"

"Ri—Rihyon... Uh... Oh! You mean the First Head?!" Hearing Miketsu's words, Mori-bozu was stunned for a long moment before reacting. He wondered with great confusion how this newly appointed fourteen-year-old human Inari God knew the name of the Nura Clan's founder. His true name was something even many young yokai were unaware of.

"Yes... I am talking about him. Lord Tadae mentioned the leader of the Edo yokai from hundreds of years ago to me before. I assumed that was the name of the Nura Clan's head." Miketsu spoke calmly to Mori-bozu as she sipped her tea. Mori-bozu nodded in understanding.

"So that's how it is... Yes, Lord Rihyon is Lord Rihan's father and the First Head of the Nura Clan. The clan was founded by him. Although he is already a thousand years old, Lord Rihyon is still alive. After Lord Rihan's death, he resumed the role of the Nura Clan's leader. This is the primary reason the Nura Clan hasn't completely collapsed since Lord Rihan's death. You could say Lord Rihyon's return prevented the Nura Clan from sliding into the worst possible situation." Mori-bozu explained. Hearing this, Miketsu's eyes narrowed, and she spoke with a hint of sternness.

"Only prevented a collapse? He hasn't fully restored order to the Tokyo demon realm? Is Rihyon's ability only at that level? Could it be he isn't even as capable as his own son?"

"Uh... this... Lord Inaba, you misunderstand..." Seeing Miketsu suddenly turn stern, Mori-bozu became somewhat flustered in his confusion. He couldn't understand why this young Inari God's expression would change and become so serious upon hearing the name of the First Head, Rihyon, as if she were quite dissatisfied with him.

It didn't make sense. There was no reason for this young human Inari God to have heard of Lord Rihyon's reputation.

"Let me tell you, Lord Inaba—though I don't know who spoke ill of Lord Rihyon to you, this poor monk must say that Lord Rihyon's abilities were once absolutely top-tier. He was a famous great yokai who galloped through the Sengoku period! The Sengoku period! That was a chaotic era where countless ultra-powerful great yokai dominated the battlefield and slaughtered one another. The strength of today's yokai cannot compare to those of that time! Even then, Lord Rihyon was a figure of great renown! If you ask me, in terms of pure strength, even Lord Rihan couldn't match Lord Rihyon in his prime!"

Mori-bozu spoke with great fervor. It seemed he had been a follower of the First Head, Rihyon, from the very beginning.

"However... fate is once again unpredictable. While participating in the yokai slaughter during the Osaka Summer Campaign, Lord Rihyon encountered a rare and powerful enemy. Although he eventually defeated that foe, he suffered an irreversible cursed wound, causing his strength to diminish greatly. It has only grown more severe with the passage of time.

"After that battle, Lord Rihyon accepted an invitation from the human shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and ended his days of wandering with his group. He settled in Edo to govern and stabilize the Edo demon realm. Once he had initially stabilized the realm, he simply passed the position of head to the now-mature Lord Rihan due to his own declining strength. Lord Rihan then led the Nura Clan to dominate Kanto. This stable demon realm environment also laid the foundation for Edo's future prosperity..." Mori-bozu explained. Miketsu nodded in realization.

"I see. So that means when Rihyon took over as the Nura Clan's head again, he was already very weak?"

"Exactly. You may not know this, but in the world of yokai, strength is respected above all. If a leader lacks strength, no matter how excellent they are in other aspects, they cannot command respect. Especially since the main members and subordinate gangs of the Nura Clan were mostly recruited during Lord Rihan's era. Many of them do not respect the weakened Lord Rihyon. Nowadays, Lord Rihyon is essentially relying purely on his past prestige to hold things together. As long as he is there, at least those gangs once loyal to him won't rebel, and the Nura Clan won't collapse. But the various schemes behind the scenes are unavoidable."

Mori-bozu continued. Hearing his words, Miketsu breathed a sigh of relief.

'It seems that kid hasn't had it easy either...'

In the world of yokai, strength was respected above all—Miketsu knew this better than anyone. Simply put, the raw power of a ruler who wished to govern yokai had to be significantly greater than that of their subordinates.

Most yokai were chaotic by nature. They would not submit to rules, regulations, or a social structure and governing system. They only submitted to the strong. They submitted to rules only because the strong established them.

Therefore, one could not hope to create a political system in yokai society that could be stably inherited and maintained. The systems found in human history that allowed for stable succession were useless among yokai. Yokai only respected one kind of politics: strongman politics. If a ruler lacked strength and prestige, anything they said was nonsense. In a yokai organization, the disappearance of a ruler without an equally powerful successor usually meant the death of the organization he created. It was rare for a yokai organization to survive if the successor was incompetent.

Simply put, yokai only believed in the ruler himself, not the rules and systems he established. Fortunately, the lifespans of powerful yokai were generally very long, and those skilled in cultivation could live even longer. Thus, yokai organizations often lasted a long time—longer than some dynasties.

And the current Nura Clan was caught in such a predicament. The Second Head had been mysteriously assassinated, and the First Head, who had taken over temporarily, had seen his strength greatly diminished by a serious wound from the Sengoku period. He was now holding on almost entirely through his past prestige, while most of the Nura Clan's subordinate gangs had been brought in during the Second Head's era...

Thinking about it this way, the situation for the Nura Clan was not optimistic at all.

"So... does the Nura Clan have no other candidates for the position of head? Does Rihyon not have any other sons? Or surely the Second Head must have had descendants... If they could be properly trained and taught some experience, they could at least take over when Rihyon can no longer hold on..." Miketsu spoke after some thought. Mori-bozu was slightly stunned, and his tone became extremely disdainful.

"Hmph! That brat isn't fit to inherit the Nura Clan!"

Mori-bozu slammed his two massive hands together, producing a loud sound. His words carried obvious anger. His attitude startled Miketsu, who then asked.

"What? Do they have a descendant?"

"Yes... Lord Rihyon only had one son, Lord Rihan, and Lord Rihan had one descendant... But, the problem is... for some reason, both Lord Rihyon and Lord Rihan had their hearts stolen by human women! Lord Rihan was a hanyo, and Lord Rihan's son is a hanyo among hanyos—he is a quarter-blood yokai!" Mori-bozu spoke with great indignation. Hearing this, Miketsu's expression tightened, and she spoke.

"A quarter-blood yokai... meaning he is three-quarters human? That indeed makes it difficult to command respect. But that shouldn't matter. For a yokai, as long as they possess the strength and courage, bloodline is not an issue..."

Hearing Miketsu's words, Mori-bozu was taken aback and replied with some surprise.

"I didn't expect you to understand yokai so well, Lord Inaba... But the problem with that brat isn't just his bloodline. That brat... that brat doesn't want to become the Third Head at all! No! It's not just that he doesn't want to be the Third Head! He doesn't want to be a yokai at all! Weak, incompetent, and indecisive! He is an utter disappointment to us old retainers of the Nura Clan. If it weren't for the sake of the First Head, he would have been torn to pieces long ago!"

Mori-bozu shouted in a fit of rage. This time, he finally couldn't help himself and slammed a fist hard onto the floor beside him, cracking the boards. He then hurriedly pulled back his hand and apologized.

To this, Miketsu said nothing, only asking in a low voice.

"So... what is the name of this grandson of Rihyon?"

...

Tokyo, Ukiyoe-cho.

Inside a vast Japanese-style estate, a shout rang out.

"Young Lord! You cannot go out at this time!"

In the courtyard, a small, humanoid black crow, looking almost like a chibi figure, was flying along the corridor beside the house. He shouted anxiously as he flew, while in front of him, a youth walked briskly forward.

Wearing glasses, with the build of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old, chestnut-colored short hair, and the black uniform of a male middle school student, the handsome youth walked quickly along the corridor, seemingly ignoring the anxious yokai flying behind him.

"Stop bothering me, Karasu-tengu. Didn't I say this morning? There's a class gathering this afternoon... so I have to go out." Without looking back at the Karasu-tengu behind him, the youth spoke directly.

"But you haven't practiced your swordsmanship today!"

"Missing a day or two won't matter, right? Anyway, I don't plan on joining the kendo club or participating in kendo competitions once I'm in high school. Just practicing casually is enough." The youth replied lightly. Hearing this, the Karasu-tengu behind him became even more agitated.

"Practicing the sword is to improve your own strength, not for some competition! Also, the head of the Toyama Group is coming to visit this afternoon. He said he wants to see the future Third Head. Young Lord, you cannot go out now!"

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that... You'll just have to apologize to him for me. I really have something to do now..."

"Young Lord!"

"Karasu-tengu..." Seemingly unable to bear the pestering from behind, the youth turned around. He looked at the yokai behind him with an extremely serious gaze, clenched his fist, and spoke firmly.

"Haven't I told you many times? I, Nura Rikuo, do not want to become any Third Head. I am a human, and I only want to live as a human! Don't mention these things to me again, understood?"