Disorder

Ukiyoe-cho, inside the Nura Clan's yokai manor.

In a quiet room, the Headless Yokai and Karasu-tengu were frozen in place. They looked with stunned expressions at Slippery Nura, the first head of the Nura Clan, who sat beneath the large 'Fear' character crest.

A moment ago, they had been heatedly debating the kidnapping of the Nura Clan's young lord, Nura Rikuo. Their words had been cut short by a sharp, crisp sound coming from Slippery Nura's direction.

The Headless Yokai and Karasu-tengu discovered that the pipe Slippery Nura usually used had been snapped in his grip. An expression of shock, the likes of which they had never seen before, surfaced on his face, causing their own hearts to race with unease.

'This... this is the first time I've seen the Grand Commander make such a face... and he even broke the pipe he's used for over a hundred years. Is he that worried about the young lord's safety? Well... I suppose there couldn't be any other reason...' Karasu-tengu thought to himself. Having followed Slippery Nura for centuries, this was the first time he had seen his leader react this way.

"Grand Commander, please put your mind at ease. Do not let your anger overwhelm you. We will immediately arrange for the entire clan to search for the young lord's whereabouts. We will surely bring him back!" the Headless Yokai said with a bow. Clearly, he also believed Slippery Nura had lost his composure because he was overly agitated upon hearing that his only grandson had been abducted. After all, Rikuo was Slippery Nura's only blood relative...

"Yes, Grand Commander, you can leave this matter to us. We will find the young lord right away!"

Karasu-tengu also tried to persuade him. Hearing their words, Slippery Nura's expression shifted slightly. Coming out of his daze, he finally responded.

"Mm... very well. Send out the order now for the entire clan to search for Rikuo's trail... Also, if you find any clues, do not act on your own. Report back to me first, especially regarding any leads on the yokai who took him..."

"Yes!"

With those words of acknowledgement, Karasu-tengu and the Headless Yokai left the room to relay the orders. In the quiet room, Slippery Nura sat alone, staring into the empty space for a long time, his thoughts unknown.

After a long while, he looked toward the bright moon in the sky and murmured.

"Is this a coincidence... or are you really..."

...

In the night of Tokyo, the moon rose higher as the hour grew late. The bustling city districts remained vibrant and colorful, with multi-colored lights dotting the dark shadows. However, the areas far from the prosperity of the city center were shrouded in darkness.

On a dilapidated road in a deserted wasteland, the chestnut-haired yokai youth, Nura Rikuo, slowly woke from his unconscious state.

"Ugh..."

Holding his head, Rikuo stood up slowly, his expression dazed. He rubbed his temples as his blurred vision gradually cleared. With a hazy consciousness, Rikuo began to scan his surroundings to confirm his current situation.

Through his observations, Rikuo found that he was standing on a severely damaged highway. Thick, wild grass and trees lined both sides. There were no lights nearby; only the bright moon and starlight from the sky illuminated the ground. On the horizon beyond one side of the woods, a faint red and yellow glow could be seen.

"Where... am I?"

Holding his still-heavy head, Rikuo began to observe the scene before him. Clearly, this was not the lively city center of Tokyo, but the old road suggested it wasn't some remote mountain wilderness either. The faint red-yellow light on the horizon was obviously the glow of city lights.

This... should be the outskirts of the city...

"The suburbs? Why did he bring me to a place like this..." Rikuo muttered in confusion, his mind still not fully clear. He recalled the black-robed yokai he had seen on the iron bridge, who was powerful beyond belief.

Recalling the extreme strength displayed by that black-robed shadow and the crushing weight of demonic power that had nearly suffocated him, Rikuo couldn't help but shudder. A chill ran down his spine, accompanied by immense confusion.

'When did such a powerful yokai come to Ukiyoe-cho? Just releasing his demonic power was enough to suppress me into unconsciousness... No yokai in the clan could do that...'

'The key is... he seemed to know Grandpa... and he came specifically to see me, wanting to confirm if I was the third head of the Nura Clan?'

Scratching his head, Rikuo's confused mind was filled with doubts. He couldn't understand why that powerful black-robed yokai would attack him and dump him in a place like this after failing to get an answer.

However... since that person was gone now, he should hurry back to avoid worrying his grandfather and the others. Although this place was desolate, it shouldn't be too far from the city.

Thinking this, Rikuo picked up the tsuba-less blade in its scabbard from the ground. He sighed inwardly that the black-robed yokai had even brought his sword along, then began to carefully scan the area for any road leading back to the city.

As a result, he froze the moment he turned around.

"Is this... a tunnel?"

Appearing before Rikuo was a very dilapidated tunnel entrance. The stone walls of the entrance were covered in moss, and the bricks were cracked. The iron gate that should have blocked the tunnel was overturned to one side, covered in rust. The inside of the tunnel was pitch black, with gusts of cold wind howling out from it. The old road beneath Rikuo's feet led straight into that darkness.

This dark tunnel looked incredibly eerie. Struck by the cold wind blowing from within, even the youth with yokai blood couldn't help but get goosebumps.

'It feels... a bit gloomy. Do I need to go through here to get back? Hiss... my head is still a bit dizzy. I haven't fully recovered yet...'

Just as Rikuo was thinking this while holding his head, a white light suddenly flashed within the darkness of the tunnel. Seeing this, Rikuo's expression tightened. He took a step back, warily watching the light. Along with the light, the sound of crisp footsteps echoed from the tunnel. Hearing this, Rikuo was taken aback.

'Is someone in there?'

The light quickly drew closer. Rikuo raised his guard. As the footsteps grew louder, he finally saw the figure behind the light and was stunned.

"Whoa... how rare. To think someone would come here at this hour."

Standing at the edge of the tunnel entrance was a young woman around seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore a jacket and denim shorts with sneakers and a baseball cap. She had straight, waist-length black hair. In one hand, she held a flashlight, and in the other, an open DV camera. Her eyes showed clear surprise as she looked at Rikuo.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I accidentally got lost around here. Could I ask if you know the way back to the city?" Rikuo asked after a brief pause.

"You... you are..."

"Ah? You're asking me? My name is Yamasaki Anna. I'm a YouTuber who makes paranormal videos. I came here to film material~" Hearing Rikuo's words, the woman named Yamasaki Anna spoke while lifting the DV camera in her hand, looking at Rikuo with a bright smile. Rikuo was slightly taken aback by her words.

'A paranormal YouTuber? She feels like the same type of person as Kiyotsugu... If she's famous, maybe Kiyotsugu has even seen her videos...' Thinking of his classmate who had recently organized a paranormal exploration of the old school building, Rikuo couldn't help but think this as he spoke up apologetically.

"Um... sorry, I accidentally got lost. I want to go to the city now. Do you know the way?"

"Lost? To be able to get lost in a place like this, you're quite the scatterbrain, kid... Most people would have a hard time even finding the road here. But you're in luck since you ran into me. I've become familiar with this area. To get to the city, you have to go through this tunnel to reach the main road. I was just about to head back myself, so come with me."

Yamasaki Anna spoke as she turned her flashlight back toward the tunnel and began walking in.

Rikuo shook his still-dizzy head and followed her, entering the pitch-black tunnel behind Yamasaki Anna.

Walking through the cold tunnel, he looked at the damp rock walls on either side before looking at the back of the figure holding the flashlight.

"Thanks for the directions... By the way, you said you came here to film paranormal material. Does that mean there are hauntings here?"

"Hauntings... of course. This Old Fukiage Tunnel is a famous haunted spot~" Yamasaki Anna replied without looking back. Rikuo was slightly startled by her words.

"Old Fukiage Tunnel? Is that the one we're in right now?"

"Of course. According to legend, several members of a family from a nearby Izakaya were killed by an axe-wielding robber and dragged into this tunnel. The robber himself died inside due to an accident. So, rumor has it that an exceptionally vicious Great Evil Spirit resides here. A few years ago, people were said to have gone missing nearby. There are all sorts of rumors."

As she spoke, Yamasaki Anna shook the DV camera in her hand.

"Because of that, I had comments on my videos asking me to explore this place, so I came out today to film material. But I haven't captured anything of value. It's a bit disappointing."

"I see. It's for the best that you didn't run into anything..." Rikuo said, feeling relieved. He was still rubbing his dizzy head.

'Hiss... I still haven't fully recovered. I can't seem to focus my attention properly...'

The tunnel wasn't very long. Just as Rikuo was about to finish the walk with Anna, a sharp splat sounded behind him. Rikuo immediately turned around. As his nose twitched, his expression hardened.

'This... the smell of blood...'

Smelling blood, Rikuo looked solemnly toward the source of the sound. Using the slight night vision granted by his yokai blood, he saw a blurred lump of flesh lying there.

'That's... human...'

Seeing the scene, Rikuo's eyes widened. At that moment, Yamasaki Anna's voice came from behind him again, but this time, it was filled with gloom.

"I say... kid, do you know what happens in the rumors if you encounter the evil spirit inside the tunnel?"

Hearing the words behind him, Rikuo's heart tightened as Yamasaki Anna continued.

"First... it will hack off your legs so you can't run away..." Following Yamasaki Anna's words, two severed limbs began to fall from the tunnel ceiling at the spot where the lump of flesh lay...

"Then... it will pull out the organs that won't kill you instantly, making you wail and beg for mercy..." With a series of wet thuds, blurred internal organs fell one by one before Rikuo's eyes. Rikuo's eyes bulged as he covered his mouth with his hand, but Yamasaki Anna's voice continued from behind him.

"Next... it will tear off your face while you beg and drape it over its own..." The falling severed limbs and fragments grew larger and more numerous, making Rikuo feel incredibly nauseous. His emotions were in total turmoil.

"Finally... it will use your face and split your skull with an axe amidst your screams, ending your life completely..." The last piece of the corpse fell before Rikuo. It was a bloody head, nearly split in two...

And finally, landing on top of this pile of gore was the DV camera Rikuo recognized...

Rikuo gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, unable to calm the emotions raging inside him.

"I can say all I want, but to know how it really feels... you have to experience it for yourself to understand..."

Finally, Yamasaki Anna's voice behind Rikuo faded away. Immediately, a howling gust of wind swept toward Rikuo, who was standing still. Its target was Rikuo's legs.

Sensing the danger, Rikuo immediately gripped the tsuba-less blade still in its scabbard and blocked. With a crisp clashing sound, the scabbard was completely shattered by the strike from behind. Rikuo was also thrown by the massive impact, slamming into the tunnel wall.

"Ugh..."

Rikuo quickly adjusted his stance and turned to look behind him toward the direction of the attack. What he saw was a tall, white figure.

It was a giant over three meters tall, deathly pale, with hands and feet stained in blood. It blocked the tunnel exit, wearing thin hemp clothes. In its hand, it gripped a giant axe still covered in bits of flesh. Over the upper half of its face was draped the skin of a woman's face... A powerful aura of Yin energy radiated from its body.

As the young lord of yokai, he quickly identified the terrifying entity before him.

"This is... a Great Evil Spirit... strong enough to achieve full physical manifestation..." Rikuo murmured, holding his blade. Along with his shock, he was also incredibly confused.

"Why... would such a thing appear here... Isn't Tokyo supposed to be the Nura Clan's territory?" As he spoke, Rikuo glanced with a shocked expression toward the other side—at the bloody remains that had belonged to Yamasaki Anna...

'Why... would there be such a cruel Great Evil Spirit on the Nura Clan's turf?'

...

Outside the Old Fukiage Tunnel, atop a tall tree.

A figure in black robes, wrapped in bandages with a single red eye, stood there. Beneath the Owl's attire, Miketsu looked toward the sinister tunnel in the distance and thought silently.

'Confirmed through divination of paranormal rumors... a lawless, murderous Great Evil Spirit wandering in a disorderly demon realm... I originally planned to leave this as homework for Miko... but it's perfect to show you just how bad a demon realm can get when it completely loses order...'

'Cherish this... young lord of the Nura Clan. This is a cruelty you could never experience in Slippery Nura's greenhouse. This is the most primitive and true face of the demon realm...'