Yokai Battle

The moonlight had just risen as early night descended.

In a cold, dark, and deserted district of Tokyo, a chaotic battle between yokai was in full swing. Countless bizarre and misshapen yokai were locked in a melee. The forces of Shikoku and the Nura Clan clashed as Yuki-onna’s icy winds froze flesh, Kurotabo’s weapons pierced vital organs, and Aotabo wrestled with the Hand-Washing Yokai. Kubinashi used his ropes to tangle with Inugami. Demonic blood splattered across the streets as the battle gradually ground into a stalemate.

"Tsk, damn it... Why did the Nura Clan find this place so suddenly? Wasn't the concealment work supposed to be handled by Yosuzume?! Where is he now?!" Standing on the roof of an abandoned shopping mall, Tamazuki muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed as he watched the carnage below. It was clear he didn't want a final showdown with the Nura Clan yet, but he hadn't expected the enemy to launch a full-scale assault immediately after his position was exposed. "Hmph, in that case, I'll just have to end this quickly. Where is their commander? If I can take him down, the rest of this Night Parade will crumble."

With that thought, Tamazuki continued searching the battlefield below, but even after looking for a long time, he couldn't find a presence that fit the description.

"Where is the enemy commander? Surely he's not a coward hiding in the back!" Amidst the intense fighting, Nura Rikuo walked through the battlefield with his blade resting on his shoulder. Weapons, fire, and claws whistled past him. The yokai in the heat of battle—friend and foe alike—ignored him, their eyes fixed only on the opponents they were currently trying to kill.

Rikuo reached the center of the battlefield. After glancing around, he found a suitable direction clear of his own men. He gripped the hilt of his blade and swung it through the air.

Boom!

Accompanied by a massive roar, a gale of gathered demonic energy erupted on the battlefield. It transformed into a rift-tearing blade that cleaved the earth, plowing a deep trench into the ground and pulverizing the groups of yokai in its path. Under the weight of this shocking blow, the entire battlefield momentarily fell silent. Yokai from both sides stared in shock at the center of the field, at the white-haired youth holding the demonic blade and the massive fissure before him. That single strike had reduced Shikoku’s forces by over twenty. Witnessing this incredible power, a thunderous cheer erupted from the Nura Clan yokai, while the morale of the Shikoku forces plummeted, many of them retreating a step or two in fear.

"Was... was that strike done by the Young Lord? So strong! So cool!" Seeing Rikuo in the center of the battlefield, Yuki-onna shouted with stars in her eyes. Elsewhere, other members of the Nura Clan couldn't help but express their amazement.

"Is this the Young Lord’s current power? To wipe out dozens of yokai in one blow... At this level, he can already rival the legendary yokai of the Sengoku period. After meeting that 'Owl,' has the Young Lord already grown to this extent?" Kubinashi muttered to himself as he looked at the destruction. Beside him, Kurotabo focused his gaze on the demonic blade in Rikuo’s hand.

"Is that the power of the demonic blade held by the 'Owl'? Merely lending the blade to the Young Lord allows for such an improvement... If it were the Owl’s own strength, just how terrifying would it be? Fortunately, such an entity is helping the Nura Clan."

"Is that the power of a demonic blade? Such immense demonic energy... is that the Nura Clan's blade?" Standing on the roof, Tamazuki watched the scene below in shock. Looking at the power of that demonic blade and recalling Inugami’s previous report, he finally confirmed the name of the enemy commander.

At this moment, Rikuo stood in the center of the battlefield. Despite being right in front of the Shikoku yokai, none of them dared to strike. Seeing this, Rikuo gave a slight smile and looked up toward the rooftop, meeting the stunned gaze of Tamazuki.

"You..."

Seeing the provocative smile on Rikuo’s face, Tamazuki gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the broken tachi in his hand.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Nura Rikuo!!"

With a roar, Tamazuki jumped from the window ledge, tachi in hand, and performed a plunging strike toward Rikuo. Facing the enemy commander falling from the sky, Rikuo also gripped his demonic blade and swung upward.

Far from Tokyo, across the strait from Honshu on the island of Shikoku, the shadows of night were also beginning to drape over the land.

Shikoku was famous for its tanuki, and by extension, its tanuki yokai. The number of both in Shikoku was immense, and local folklore was filled with stories about them. Tanuki statues and even tanuki shrines were a unique feature of the island's landscape. Among the many legends, the most profound and widely told was naturally that of the Great Clan Leader of all Shikoku tanuki: Inugami Gyobu Tanuki.

Deep within a vast forest in Shikoku, inside a secluded yokai Secret Realm, there was a clearing within the dense woods. The clearing was surrounded by thick trees, and beneath them were many tanuki statues of various sizes, some broken or tilted. In the center of this clearing, surrounded by the statues, stood a large stone table. Three figures of varying sizes sat around it.

"...Old Tanuki, the food here is much better than it used to be. It was worth timing my visit for dinner. Your tanuki are getting better and better at cooking." Sitting at the stone table, a withered and small old yokai held a bowl of white rice, his chopsticks never stopping as he sampled the dishes. This was Nura Rihyon. Opposite him sat a massive, obese tanuki standing three or four meters tall. He was bloated, wearing simple and wide clothing that couldn't hide his massive general's belly. Due to his size, he sat directly on the ground. His fur was dark and messy, and his face sported long, human-like whiskers. A large pouch was slung over his back, and he held a bucket of rice with a jar of sake on the table.

"Ahaha... I was wondering who was invading my Secret Realm today. Turns out it's you. It's been several hundred years; it’s rare for you to visit me. I thought you old friends usually held your meetings in Heian-kyo?"

Looking at the scene, the massive tanuki named Tamamura laughed loudly. After taking two gulps of sake, he shifted his gaze to the third seat between himself and Rihyon. There, the elegant bird-yokai woman was resting her eyes and sipping light tea, completely ignoring the feast of meat and fish on the table.

"However, I didn't expect Makoto to come this time. I apologize for not preparing dishes you like. After all, it’s been a hundred years since I last saw you, hasn't it?" Looking at Makoto, Tamamura spoke with a hint of surprise. Compared to Rihyon, who visited occasionally, this otherworldly heavenly demon was not a frequent guest; she rarely even appeared in the human realm.

"I only came down because someone used a feather. Rihyon... you didn't ask me to bring you here just to eat free rice, did you?" As she spoke, Makoto fixed a sharp gaze on Rihyon, who was still busy with his chopsticks.

"Hehe, of course not. The food is just a bonus. More importantly, I have some things I want to ask this Old Tanuki," Rihyon said while eating. Hearing his words, Tamamura’s expression tightened slightly, his small eyes hidden deep in his fur looking toward Rihyon.

"Things?"

Rihyon then gave a brief account of the incident he encountered in the park during the day and the recent attacks on the Nura Clan. Listening to Rihyon’s words, Tamamura’s expression became solemn. After reflecting for a moment, he spoke.

"You're saying... Shikoku yokai went to Kanto to attack the Nura Clan? They not only killed your executives but also tried to assassinate you?"

"Yes. That's why I wanted to ask, as the Grand Commander of the Shikoku yokai... do you know anything about this?" Rihyon asked Tamamura, who shook his head in response.

"I'm afraid I'm not very clear on that. I'm currently in a state of semi-retirement. I've handed most of the affairs of the Shikoku Night Parade to my sons to manage."

"You've already retired?"

"...After all, like you, my old injuries act up quite severely. My health has been getting worse over the last few decades. I can no longer manage the Night Parade," Tamamura said, waving his hand. Beside them, Makoto’s expression sharpened, and she asked with a hint of confusion.

"Old injuries?"

"Ah... Makoto, you probably don't know. I heard long ago that this guy hit a brick wall during a conflict three hundred years ago. He was heavily wounded by a demonic blade, losing a great deal of his essence, which eventually turned him into this," Rihyon explained. Makoto continued to ask curiously.

"What demonic blade is that powerful?"

"The name of that demonic blade is the Devil King's Mallet," Tamamura replied. After pouring another mouthful of strong sake down his throat, he let out a long breath and continued.

"I was careless back then. I didn't think a mere human using a demonic blade could have such powerful strength. That Devil King's Mallet not only severely wounded me but also devoured my Night Parade—nearly half of my life's work. It was one of the few times in my life I felt true fear. And the last time I felt fear like that was a thousand years ago..."

As he spoke, he looked toward the sky, his words immediately capturing the full attention of both Rihyon and Makoto.

"A thousand years ago? When a thousand years ago?" Rihyon asked directly. A thousand years ago, Tamamura was still working alongside Rihyon, so Rihyon should have known about anything he experienced.

Hearing Rihyon’s question, Tamamura gave a soft chuckle, then stared at Rihyon with a serious expression.

"Heh, Rihyon, do you remember when we followed the General to the Tengu Secret Realm of Sugo Ungo? There, weren't we—along with Seimei—confronted by a human warrior? He used the demonic blade in his hand to easily wound both of us. If the General hadn't stepped in at the end, even Seimei might have died there," Tamamura said slowly. Hearing this, Rihyon was stunned and then spoke in shock.

"Are you saying that Devil King's Mallet is the same demonic blade that warrior held back then?!"

"No, it's far inferior to that one! If it were truly that wicked blade, I wouldn't be sitting here now. Three hundred years ago, even though I was heavily wounded by the Devil King's Mallet, I managed to kill the human holding it and sealed the blade away. Though the price was immense, it was ultimately a tragic victory..." As he spoke, Tamamura looked up at the clear moon in the sky and continued to sigh.

"What I want to say is... although that Devil King's Mallet is nowhere near as powerful as the wicked blade held by that warrior we saw back then, those two blades gave me a very similar feeling. It wasn't much, but it was familiar. When the battle with the Devil King's Mallet was at its most desperate, I couldn't help but recall that wicked blade."

Tokyo, in the deserted streets around the abandoned mall.

The chaotic battle between the Nura Clan and the Shikoku yokai continued. However, due to the massive casualties and psychological blow caused by Rikuo’s earlier strike, the Shikoku yokai were now in a disadvantageous position. The Nura Clan yokai fought with increasing vigor, while the Shikoku yokai showed signs of an imminent collapse.

This was true for both the rank-and-file and their leaders.

In the center of the battlefield, the yokai from both sides had tacitly avoided the area, leaving a circular clearing. The ground here was already riddled with deep fissures. Amidst the debris, Tamazuki stood panting, his body covered in wounds, gripping his broken tachi with both hands.

Blood flowed from his forehead, soaking his clothes a brilliant crimson. His exposed skin was covered in lacerations. Because of the release of his demonic energy, he could no longer perfectly maintain his human form; fur had begun to grow in many places, and tanuki ears sprouted from his head.

Tamazuki no longer looked like the fair-skinned young monk from before. Now, he resembled a wounded, ferocious beast, ugly and terrifying.

"Where?! Where is it this time?! Where are you?! Get out here!! You have a demonic blade like that, yet you don't dare face me head-on?!" Holding the broken tachi, which emitted a purple-red glow, he swung wildly in all directions, shouting as if searching for something. It was clear that Tamazuki was facing certain defeat. Whether in terms of his own strength or the weapon in his hand, he seemed unable to match Rikuo.

Suddenly, Tamazuki seemed to sense something and slashed his tachi in one direction. With the crisp sound of clashing metal, Rikuo’s figure quickly materialized before him. The tachis in their hands were locked against each other in a stalemate.

With a low mutter, Rikuo injected demonic energy into his blade, causing a violent demonic wind to swirl at point-blank range. Tamazuki was blown back, crashing hard against a distant wall. He still gripped the broken tachi, but a thread of blood flowed from his hand onto the blade, only to be completely absorbed by the metal.