Pleading for Mercy

In the night sky of Tokyo, the layered black clouds were swept away and dispersed by the soaring azure dragon of demonic wind. The sudden sight of the moon peeking through the clouds startled the ordinary people living in this massive metropolis; pedestrians on the streets began taking photos with their phones. Gazing at the winding dragon of wind, they marveled with open mouths at the wildly radiating demonic energy.

Various supernatural counter-departments across Tokyo were struck by panic at this moment. The Onmyo Agency had already issued a warning to the Prime Minister's offical residence, urging the Prime Minister to enter an underground nuclear protection bunker immediately to prepare for a large-scale spiritual disaster that could occur at any moment. The entire government apparatus was thrown into chaos.

At the center of the demonic energy eruption, where the azure dragon of wind had consumed the snake and ascended to the heavens, the strife had quieted, and the rampaging blood snake had been eliminated. On this ground that was once a battlefield for hordes of yokai, neither the Nura nor the Shikoku yokai possessed an ounce of fighting spirit left. Countless yokai sat slumped on the ground, forming a massive circle, staring with vacant gazes at the pitch-black figure in the center of the clearing.

Within these dark streets that had nearly been reduced to ruins, though the suffocating, terrifying demonic energy had completely vanished and the crushing pressure that made it impossible to raise one's head was gone, the yokai remained frozen in their dazed postures. The shock deep within their hearts had not faded in the slightest. Before that pitch-black figure, every yokai stood silent, not daring to even breathe, having witnessed a power that far exceeded their own understanding—a terrifying sight that defied common sense. These yokai, mostly born in the modern era, would need significant time to recover from their state, while the Edo yokai seemed to recover slightly faster.

"Gone? That monster snake is just... gone?" Kejoro stuttered, staring blankly at the ruins of the shopping mall. To use demonic energy to stir a storm into a giant dragon and grind a thirty-meter-long monstrosity into nothingness in an instant... such a scene had far exceeded her conventional understanding of 'demonic energy' or 'onmyojutsu.'

"Mhm. Under that level of demonic energy release, no matter how many of those monsters there were, it wouldn't be enough. It's terrifying... can a yokai truly reach such heights? This is practically divine might. I'm just glad he isn't an enemy," Kurotabo said nearby, his expression solemn as he pressed down on his bamboo hat. If the power released just now hadn't been demonic power, Kurotabo would have directly assumed it was a deity descending from the heavens.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Kubinashi focused his gaze on the blade held in the black shadow's hand.

'To be able to use the Young Lord's blade... and unleash such terrifying power... he truly is...' Kubinashi pondered, recalling the stories told to them by Gyuki, a veteran elder of the main house. Hearing Kubinashi's words, Kejoro and Kurotabo were startled. When they exchanged looks, they all thought of the same name—an ancient name from a thousand years ago.

Standing on the ravaged battlefield, Miketsu, in the form of the Owl, held the Demonic Fang Blade and looked at where the blood snake had completely vanished into the air.

'The power of the Great Snake... it still has remnants in this world. No wonder my previous divination was slightly off and failed to predict this anomaly, forcing me to save the day at the last minute,' Miketsu thought. He could clearly feel that although the demonic blade that turned into the blood snake was primarily driven by demonic power, it indeed contained a trace of the Great Snake's power. It was clearly a residue left by the Great Snake in this world.

Much like the 'demon of sensation' Purwaiz, who had been dismantled and soul-extinguished by the joint efforts of many ancient gods, his mouth—brought back by Suwako as a souvenir—could remain active for hundreds of millions of years under careful preservation. The Great Snake's soul had only been extinguished for a millennium; the existence of residue was perfectly normal.

The ways yokai were born were myriad and strange. Many of the first yokai and monsters in this world were actually transformed by the influence of ancient god residue. For example, the Earthquake Catfish was once a creature affected by Suwako's residue; such beings usually possessed power that could even draw the attention of celestial gods.

It was precisely because of the Great Snake's residue that Miketsu's divination had suffered a slight disturbance. What was originally intended to be watching the juniors fight to test the current capabilities of the Nura brat ended with her having to make an emergency rescue. After all, to interfere with the causality of ancient god-level power, Miketsu had to act in her capacity as the weaver of mandate.

'While the Great Snake's residue cannot pose a threat to me, it cannot be ignored. The source of this residue needs to be cleared up,' Miketsu nodded to herself. She didn't intend to return to the mandate space directly to merge with her mandate self to calculate the Great Snake's affairs—that was too troublesome for her. Even without relying on her ability to calculate, Miketsu could already roughly guess the source of that residue.

As Miketsu was lost in thought, a panting voice echoed from behind her.

"Your Excellency... Owl..."

Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Miketsu slowly turned around. He saw Rikuo, supporting his weakened body as he slowly stood up.

"Thank you for saving me once again."

Looking at the Great Heian Yokai who was even older than his grandfather, Rikuo bowed and expressed his gratitude with respect. When his yokai blood was awakened, Rikuo was naturally as proud as his father and grandfather, but in the face of the being before him, he could willingly set that pride aside. Among the yokai present, none knew the identity and legend of the Owl better than Rikuo.

Looking at the half-yokai youth he hadn't seen for a few days, Miketsu spoke in a steady tone.

"This matter had already escalated to a point where you could not handle it yourselves. That was never something you were meant to face; my intervention was inevitable. There is no need for thanks."

As Miketsu spoke, she walked slowly toward Rikuo and thrust the blade directly into the ground in front of him. Looking at the tachi, Rikuo couldn't help but swallow hard.

"I apologize, Your Excellency. As a half-yokai, I did not have enough demonic power to unleash this sword's true strength..." Rikuo spoke again. After witnessing the power unleashed by the Owl using this demonic blade and thinking of his own usage, Rikuo felt a profound sense of inadequacy. For a moment, he didn't even reach out to take the sword back.

He was completely unable to unleash the true power of this mighty demonic blade. Would keeping it be a waste?

"Rikuo... Although you are a half-yokai, your demonic power is already impressive among the yokai of this generation. As a Lord of Spirits and Ghouls rather than a mere warrior, holding a sword is not just for the pursuit of absolute power."

Looking at the youth, Miketsu chuckled softly. Rikuo hesitated at Miketsu's words but eventually reached out and grasped the hilt of the demonic blade.

"Power is ultimately a means to unite the Night Parade, not the goal itself. The current era is no longer one where a single Yokai Lord can decide victory or defeat alone. You do not need to use me as your benchmark at all. You are still young. Think carefully about how to carve out your own path for the Night Parade," Miketsu continued in a deep voice. Hearing these words, Rikuo gripped the sword tightly, his mind lost in thought. After a long while, he spoke with determination.

"I understand."

Under the watch of the gathered yokai, the powerful black shadow and the young Nura master were engaged in some sort of conversation. In the eyes of the yokai, the young Nura master's attitude was humble and sincere. Coupled with the immense strength the black shadow had just displayed, the yokai—who were slowly recovering from their shock—were filled with immense curiosity. They discussed and speculated about the origin and identity of the black shadow in hushed whispers. Many yokai wanted to move closer to hear their conversation, but no one had the courage to take the first step.

In an overlooked and inconspicuous corner, the leader of the Shikoku yokai, the Tanuki Tamazuki, pushed himself up against a wall. He looked at the black shadow talking to Rikuo in the distance. Recalling the terrifying pressure and suffocating demonic energy from before, his legs couldn't help but tremble slightly.

'How... How is this possible? How can Nura Rikuo be associated with a yokai like that...'

Murmuring in disbelief, Tamazuki clenched his fist against the wall. His eyes, fixed on Rikuo, were filled with resentment and extreme fury, but he immediately suppressed the urge to shout or act.

'I must endure for now. With such a powerful Great Yokai present, I absolutely cannot attract attention... I have to leave while Nura hasn't directed that Great Yokai's attention to me.'

Thinking this, Tamazuki began to actively hide his presence, retreating toward the back, hoping to slip away unnoticed. He feared that if Nura Rikuo used that Great Yokai's power against him now, it would be disastrous.

Since the attention of the gathered yokai was on the black shadow, Tamazuki had successfully backed out of the crowd. Just as he was away from the group and preparing to turn and flee, a roar like a thunderclap descended from the sky.

"Tamazuki!"

Hearing this roar, the yokai present, including Tamazuki, were startled and simultaneously looked up toward the source of the sound in the sky. What they saw was the form of a massive, obese Tanuki plummeting toward the ground.

This giant Tanuki's form was all too familiar to the Shikoku yokai and Tamazuki. They shouted in unison.

"Grand Commander!?"

"Old man!?"

Carrying the weight of a mountain, Tamamura used his plump body to crash toward the ground. His target was none other than the Tamazuki below. Tamazuki watched as his father's rapidly enlarging backside approached—

Boom!

Accompanied by a massive roar, Tamamura's fat body, which had shrunk to about three meters, slammed into the ground. His heavy build caused the earth to shudder and countless cracks to spiderweb across the pavement, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Tamazuki, having dodged with extreme speed, narrowly escaped being crushed. He turned back with a look of terror.

"Old man, you—"

However, before Tamazuki could finish, a furry, heavy fist burst through the dust. In a bellowing roar, Tamamura's massive fist slammed directly into Tamazuki's handsome face. The immense force distorted Tamazuki's features, sending several teeth flying. The power of the blow sent him flying into the distance, where he crashed through a wall, reducing it to rubble.

Seeing this, the Nura yokai were astonished, while the Shikoku yokai stood with their mouths agape.

"The Grand Commander hit Young Lord Tamazuki! This has never happened before!!" the Shikoku yokai exclaimed in shock. Everyone knew that Tamazuki was the most favored and pampered of Tamamura's many sons.

Amidst another round of astonishment from the crowd, Tamazuki struggled to climb out of the pile of rubble. Covered in blood, he stood up unsteadily and looked forward in confusion.

"Old man... Why did you—"

Before Tamazuki could say another word, Tamamura's massive frame dashed in front of him with surprising speed. Without a word, he raised his fists again, unleashing a barrage of blows on Tamazuki, beating him to the ground. The force of the strikes caused the earth to tremble again, and Tamazuki coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Why!? You still dare ask me why?! Having committed such a grave mistake, do you still have the face to ask?!"

Tamamura roared, using both hands to rain down punch after punch on the fallen Tamazuki, gradually pounding a deep crater into the ground. The earth shook rhythmically with Tamamura's fists; with every tremor, the hearts of the gathered yokai skipped a beat.

Watching the reaction of the Shikoku yokai, Kejoro, among the Nura executives, spoke with furrowed brows.

"Those Shikoku yokai are calling that big Tanuki 'Grand Commander'... then he can only be the Grand Commander of the 88 Yokai of Shikoku, Inugami Gyobu Tanuki."

Pressing down on his bamboo hat, Kurotabo spoke in a low voice.

"So that fat Tanuki is that guy's old man? This... isn't he hitting him a bit too hard?"

Rikuo swallowed hard as he watched the scene in the distance. Beside him, Miketsu secretly shook her head and let out a long sigh in her heart.

'Tamamura...'

Finally, Tamamura's punches gradually slowed and stopped. The ground ceased its trembling. He let out a long breath. Under the gaze of the yokai, Tamamura reached into the deep crater and pulled out a meter-long, bloodied, and barely breathing Tanuki.

Gripping the unconscious, reverted form of Tamazuki, Tamamura made a powerful leap into the clearing surrounded by the yokai, landing right before the black shadow.

Then, under the gaze of the crowd, the elderly Tanuki forced the limp Tamazuki into a kneeling position, and he himself knelt on both knees. Then, he pressed Tamazuki's head down along with his own, kowtowing toward the figure in front of them.

"Commander! I have been lax in my discipline, allowing this unfilial son to commit such a grave error today! Not only has he caused countless slaughters and the deaths of innocents, but he also brought about the birth of a sinister evil, endangering the Three Realms! He has even forced you to intervene yourself. Such sins are unforgivable and deserve death! But Tamazuki is, after all, my son. I beg the Commander to show mercy and spare his life for the sake of my many years of service. Whatever punishment follows, I am willing to bear it together with him!"