In the afternoon, within the Kagami-oboro Inari Shrine on Mount Kagami-oboro, Miketsu sat in her small room, wiping the cola she had just spat out from the corner of her mouth. She stared at her laptop screen with a deeply conflicted expression. On the screen was Tsuruha, the fox-eared messenger, who was currently fidgeting with her fingers and looking away with a slightly awkward gaze.
"A script? There was actually a script for this? What on earth were you all doing back then?" After cleaning up the cola and regaining her composure, Miketsu questioned Tsuruha on the screen. Tsuruha replied in a faint, hollow voice.
"Actually, it was nothing much, Lady Uka... It started when you asked those two children, Qin Xin and Menreiki, to give Asakura Hao and Owl a fitting conclusion. Those two didn't know exactly how to handle it, so they came to me for suggestions. It just so happened that Konkiku was nearby at the time... and then, well, she excitedly blurted out her ideas! Honestly, at first, I thought the idea was completely unreliable!"
Tsuruha spoke weakly. Miketsu sat cross-legged on the tatami, propping her head up with one hand as she stared indifferently at her messenger on the screen, her voice low and heavy.
"And yet... you agreed to it in the end?"
Hearing Miketsu's words, Tsuruha's body trembled slightly. Her fox ears drooped as she whispered, "Well... I couldn't help it. Konkiku stayed up all night and wrote an article tens of thousands of words long. After she showed it to me the next day, I was... well, I was a little moved..."
Tsuruha's voice grew smaller and smaller. Her words left Miketsu feeling a wave of secondhand embarrassment. She hadn't expected that little fox to have a talent for writing. For a script to move Tsuruha enough to change her mind, Konkiku's writing must have been quite impressive, with a strong grasp of emotional manipulation. If she were human and focused on writing, she might have left behind some famous 'monogatari' or become a top-tier romance novelist in the modern world.
"So... after Konkiku convinced you, those two children also agreed to go along with it? They liked the script too?" Miketsu rubbed her temples, speaking to Tsuruha with a hint of helplessness. Tsuruha nodded.
"Yes... though saying they 'liked' the script might not be entirely accurate. Given the personalities of Men-men and Xin-chan, they mostly just thought it would be fun to do, so they agreed."
Miketsu nodded slightly at Tsuruha's explanation. Although Qin Xin and Menreiki appeared to be stoic or gloomy on the surface, they were essentially children at heart. They likely thought it sounded like a fun game under Konkiku's instigation and fell right into her trap.
"So, everything that followed was directed by Konkiku?" Miketsu continued to ask the laptop. Tsuruha gave a firm answer.
"Yes... after that, almost every scene was directed by Konkiku after she meticulously wrote each act. We even mobilized a large number of foxes for it. Sometimes, for certain special effects, we even sought technical support from Lady Yagokoro of the Lunar Capital... and to better manage the weather for the performances, we visited Lord Takeminakata in Suwa... although we didn't tell him the full details..."
'Holy crap...' Miketsu thought, slapping her forehead. 'You guys really went all out with this... You even managed to rope those old-timers in... Just what kind of blockbuster were you filming? Why would a romance drama need special effects supported by Lunar technology? And getting the Wind God to control the weather? That's way too much face! If Kanako was involved, Suwako almost certainly had a hand in it too.'
Miketsu realized that while she was away, this group of subordinates had been having the time of their lives... It felt like she had missed out on a lot of interesting things.
In her state of speechlessness, Miketsu also felt a flicker of curiosity about the script Konkiku had written. She wondered what this grand drama actually looked like. Did they use some method to record it so she could watch it too?
As soon as the thought surfaced, Miketsu immediately shook her head, casting the bold idea aside. She realized she could easily project herself into the roles of the protagonists; if she actually watched it, she would definitely feel extremely uncomfortable.
After abandoning the idea of asking Tsuruha for video records, Miketsu looked back at the laptop. She saw Tsuruha with her ears half-drooped, her head lowered and eyes avoiding Miketsu's gaze—the perfect picture of a wrongdoer waiting for punishment.
"Lady Uka, Tsuruha knows that handling the matter this way was very inappropriate... but, at that time, there was a mysterious impulse that interfered with my judgment, so I allowed Konkiku and the others to run wild. I am responsible for this negligence. Please punish me, Lady Uka..."
Tsuruha spoke in a low voice. Looking at her like this, Miketsu wanted to say something but hesitated. Finally, she let out a soft sigh.
"Sigh... forget it. It’s been so long anyway, and it's not like it caused any major negative impact. I won't be using that identity much in the future anyway. Let bygones be bygones..."
Miketsu spoke softly. To be honest, she had left the shrine's affairs to Tsuruha for so long, and the other had always been diligent and hardworking. She couldn't bring herself to punish her messenger over something like this. Besides, while Tsuruha had given the green light, the mastermind was Konkiku. If she wanted to find trouble, she should look for that mischievous fox.
"By the way, since Konkiku planned this, where is she now?" Miketsu asked, thinking it was about time she had a little "chat" with Konkiku.
"Um... about that, I'm sorry, Lady Uka. Konkiku isn't at the main shrine right now. Four hundred years ago, she was severely punished by me for certain matters. After her punishment ended, she didn't stay at the shrine much. She's somewhere outside right now, but given that she can calculate the time of your return, she should be coming back soon."
Tsuruha continued in a respectful tone. Miketsu pondered for a moment, realizing those two sisters must have had another falling out.
Since Tsuruha still had matters to attend to, she quickly bid Miketsu farewell and ended the video call. Miketsu didn't ask further and closed the laptop. She turned toward the door just in time to see Miko being slammed onto the mat again by the muscular fox, Godake.
After stretching, Miketsu shifted into a new position, lying on her side on the floor. Looking at the sky through the sliding doors, she continued to snack on senbei while thinking about the Nura Clan.
She wondered how Rihyon and the rest of Owl's old subordinates viewed that final curtain call.
Late afternoon in Tokyo, Ukiyoe-cho, deep within the Nura Clan’s grand residence.
Inside a spacious, quiet room, Rikuo—in his daytime human form—sat on a cushion. He looked at Rihyon, who stood with his back to him. Rikuo's face still bore traces of shock, clearly still immersed in the legend of Owl.
"Owl... the first Grand Commander and Lord of the Night Parade... in the end, he faded into retirement because of 'love'? And... for a human Onmyoji woman?" Rikuo spoke slowly, his voice filled with disbelief. Rihyon, still facing away, let out a soft sigh.
"Yes... who would have thought that the once-invincible hegemon of the demon realm would end up like that? Humans and yokai walk different paths; when life ends, they must part... It was a relationship with no possible outcome from the very beginning. At the time, I couldn't understand it at all. Why would Commander Owl ignore the thousands of enchanting female yokai pursuing him in the demon realm and choose to love a human woman instead? What charm could such a fragile human woman possibly have to attract Owl so deeply?"
As Rihyon spoke, he turned and looked out the window at the sky, a melancholic expression on his face as if he were lost in thought.
"I once felt a deep sense of regret that Owl's grand ambitions were halted by a single human woman. I could never understand what kind of charm a human woman possessed to make a world-dominating hegemon fall so deeply... until I finally met your grandmother, Sakura-hime. From the first moment I saw her, I was captivated, and eventually, I fell for her completely. It was only then that I truly understood Commander Owl's feelings... In the end, I made the same choice he did. Even knowing that we would eventually walk different paths and part ways, I went ahead without a second thought..."
As Rihyon spoke, Rikuo could only stare with his mouth agape. After a long silence, he suddenly seemed to realize something and reacted immediately.
"Wait... Grandpa, you've been calling him 'Commander Owl' since a moment ago... does that mean..."
"Ah... that. I almost forgot to make it clear. Your grandfather here was once a subordinate of Owl." Rihyon turned and spoke calmly. Rikuo's emotions, which had just begun to settle, tightened again at these words. He stammered as he spoke.
"A—A subordinate? Grandpa, you were actually Owl's subordinate!?"
"Yes. Back when I was just a young brat starting out, I was a capable general under Commander Owl. You could say I was among the first group of yokai to follow him. I witnessed his rise step by step with my own eyes. Commander Owl gave me immense inspiration and help... At the same time, under his command, I accumulated enough resources to help my own rise later on... It was a great debt of gratitude for his patronage..." Rihyon began to pace slowly. Looking at his grandfather's profile, Rikuo finally understood why he had been so emotional upon hearing news of Owl the previous day.
Rihyon paced back to his seat and sat down. He began to gaze intently at the black-gold patterned tachi resting on the sword rack. He picked it up and lightly stroked it for a moment, then suddenly turned a sharp, stern gaze toward his grandson, startling him.
"Rikuo... do you know why Commander Owl came to find you alone?" Rihyon asked sternly. Rikuo was momentarily stunned by his grandfather's serious tone, but he soon responded with a serious expression of his own.
"I know. He... he came to make me decide whether or not to inherit the position of the Third Head. He took me to see the terrifying demon realm that I usually can't see, making me realize how important the responsibilities of the Grand Commander are..."
"Then, what is your final decision?" Rihyon continued to speak solemnly. Rikuo replied with a resolute expression.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. I will inherit the position of the Third Head... to make up for my previous mistakes and bring order back to Tokyo's demon realm!"
Hearing Rikuo's words, Rihyon was momentarily taken aback. A moment later, he spoke with a wry smile.
"Hehe... I never expected it. To think that the discipline of my own grandson would ultimately require the help of a Commander who has been retired for years. It's quite embarrassing..."
"After losing Rihan, I simply couldn't let you take any risks, Rikuo. That also severely hindered your growth... I bear at least half the responsibility for the current chaos in Tokyo's demon realm..."
As Rihyon spoke, he took one last look at the blade in his hand and then tossed it forward. Rikuo, startled, caught it.
"Grandpa..."
"Since you've made your decision, take it. This Proof of Hegemony was specifically left for you by Commander Owl. It is a peerless demonic blade capable of dominating the demon realm... a treasure that countless yokai dream of. I never expected the Commander would give it directly to you. I'm almost a little jealous..."
"Master it and use its power, Rikuo. Revitalize the Nura Clan and rebuild the order of the Edo demon realm. This is my expectation, and Commander Owl's as well..."
Tokyo, Chiyoda District, Metropolitan Police Department Building.
Inside the spacious office of the Superintendent General, Saito, dressed in a formal suit, sat behind his desk. He looked at a young man in a suit across from him with a deep, piercing gaze and asked, "So... the disturbance in that other world has ended?"
"Yes. According to the Onmyo Agency, the disturbance was caused by the disappearance of the heir to a major yokai group. However, the signal was quickly recovered. Although the situation was dangerous for a time, fortunately, it didn't escalate into a serious incident. The situation there has preliminarily stabilized, and our emergency alert for sudden incidents can be lifted," the young man reported to Saito. Hearing this, the head of the Tokyo police let out a cold laugh.
"If it's the Nura Clan, just say so. No need to beat around the bush... I thought those guys at the Onmyo Agency warned us because they weren't capable of handling the problem themselves. In the end, it was settled by those monsters and ghosts on their own, while we humans could only watch from the sidelines. Hehe, how truly powerless..."
"It can't be helped. After all, the order of that world is too dangerous and complex. There are many places we cannot easily interfere with, so we mostly have to rely on those yokai organizations to regulate themselves..." the young man said to Saito. Saito, leaning back in his chair, spoke bluntly.
"But their self-regulation is failing now. To prevent more incidents, can't the Onmyo Agency take more initiative? Do they have to pin all their hopes on a group of non-human entities?"
"Sir, it's not that the Onmyo Agency isn't doing more. Regarding the current situation in Tokyo, they have already requested assistance from the ancient Onmyo Clans in Kyoto..." Seeing his superior's anger, the man spoke respectfully. Saito's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this.
"The ancient... Onmyo Clans?"
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