“Yes… they might be lazy, fat, and drunkards, but they are still members of my clan–my family. I won’t let you insult them in front of me,” Shun declared, glaring at her with anger and persistence.
“Is that so? Well, I still won't apologize," said Ren, holding steadfast to her principles.
“I see… that’s fair. Considering the Bake-Danuki Clan's growth over the past few years, you probably feel superior to someone like me who’s from a ‘Lower class’ clan. Now you think it’s acceptable to openly throw insults at my face, I thought Tanuki weren’t this shameless.”
Shun’s sharp words nearly made Ren snap, her hands twitching as she fought the urge to strike him. But she held back… she won't spare any strength in dealing with this farce. “The deal is done. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll take my leave. I have better things to do,” she said coolly.
“Wait… I never said I didn’t have a deal. I do,” Shun replied.
Ren chuckled mockingly. “Let me guess, it’s not a request but a favor? And after insulting me and my clan? Mujina really aren’t that far off either—they’re shameless too.
“No, this is a request. And as payment, I have information for you.”
“Oh? What kind of information?” Ren asked, arching an eyebrow.
“I’ll tell you where the spiritual treasure you’ve been seeking for, you want it don’t you? The Mujina’s Bead. It’ll help strengthen your clan’s power.”
Ren sighed in disappointment. “That’s it? I was expecting something worthwhile. I assume the treasure isn’t with you anymore since you lost in the Hyakki Yagyo. This information is useless. All I had to do was ask around to locate it, easily. So tell me, why should I bother with this deal?”
*Tch
Shun clicked his tongue in frustration. “I don’t care if you see this as me shamelessly asking you this. Please… just this once.”
Ren noticed the desperation and sadness in his voice, and for a moment, pity flickered in her mind. She sighed. “Fine… what do you want?”
Shun’s face lit up. “After you manage to bring him to the hospital… Can you transfer him to a hospital near his home? He was dragged here against his will, and I’m sure his family is worried.”
“Where to?”
“He said he lives in Nagano…”
“Is… that all? I thought it would be a more troublesome matter, sure I can do that… is what I’d like to say, currently I don’t have any family member stationed there, I could arrange a transfer for a post-treatment recovery, though it would cost more. And considering your clan’s financial situation, I doubt you can cover the fee. So, I’ll need an additional fee. Tell me what you know about the person I’ll be transporting.”
“Are you serious!? Even after Daitengu himself said not to pry into the clients’ affairs!?”
“That one is a deal, and this is a favor. So of course I need to know more. Why? Is it something sensitive? Like… he is Daitengu's bastard son or something?”
“Of course not! Ugh... You greedy woman. Fine. I’ll tell you later, but just the basics. He will return to his human life… so do not involve him back to the yokai matters again.”
“You don’t have to worry, I understand that. Many of my family members prefer to live as regular humans too.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I understand. Many of my own family members choose to live as regular humans too.”
“Alright, it’s a deal then. Here’s your down payment—the Mujina’s Bead is currently with the Oni Clan.”
Ren raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Are you still on about this? I don’t need that information. I could’ve guessed that myself. You lost to a Tesso, and I assume the Tesso lost to the Oni, right?”
“What? Who told you I lost?”
Ren's eyes widened in surprise, “...You didn’t? That’s hard to believe.”
“No! I won! But my prey got stolen by the Oni. So, I had to hunt another one, but in the second round I got unlucky and faced the Oni again.”
Ren narrowed her eyes, skeptical. Shun continues, “And that is why the Mujina’s bead is with the Oni clan. They’ve shown interest in trading it with your clan, so if you stay calm and negotiate well, you might strike a good deal with that brute.”
Ren was astonished, the information he provided might not be that useless after all? But that’s his own fault for not being able to judge the worth of his information, the point is she still gained big profit. On top of striking a deal with the Tengu clan, she gained additional information about the person he and Daitengu tried so hard to protect.
“Well then, I’ll contact you after I successfully carry out the first part of this plan. See you later.”
“Yeah… see you later.” Shun replied.
Just like that their short reunion ended, it's been a few years since they talked to each other, and who knows when they will meet again.
As she walked away, her figure slowly disappearing into the distance, Shun felt a hint of bitterness. Before she could leave completely, he called out to her.
“Ren!”
She turned gracefully with a confused expression.
“My declaration that day still stands! And I will not let you disrespect me nor the Mujina Clan! I hope you’re prepared, and don’t be surprised when I overtake you someday!”
“My declaration from that day still stands! I won’t let you look down on me or the Mujina Clan! Don’t be surprised when I surpass you someday!”
Ren smirked, then burst out laughing. Shun found himself mesmerized—how could even her laugh look so cute?
“Keep dreaming, Delusional Badger,” she said, placing a leaf on her forehead. With a poof, she transformed into a Karasu Tengu and left with her two guards.
----------------------------------------
With the support of the Tengu Clan, Ren and her team managed to replace Ryohei’s body with a dummy they had prepared. The tengu clan then acquired a cheap ghost carriage–an unmanned Tsukumogami carriage belonging to the Obake Guild, a group that consists of several Yokai Merchant and Craftsmen banded together.
This carriage, often used for transportation in the Yokai world, was primarily reserved for those of noble blood. It floated through the air and wasn’t particularly fast, but it was used the most for sightseeing.
Daitengu sent the carriage in the opposite direction, towards south-west of Kyoto, straight to the far end of Japan—the Yamaguchi region.
The Oni Clan was deceived by this ruse. They attempted to intercept the carriage, but Daitengu had predicted this. He ensured the carriage flew high enough to prevent the Oni from leaping and snatched it off the air, but not so high as to disappear from their range entirely.
Once the carriage arrived at its destination, it slowly descended. Within moments, a horde of Oni surrounded it and smashed it to pieces, only to discover it was empty. Furious at their failure, the Oni reported back to Kujo and her son. Their rage knew no bounds—they choked the necks of those who had failed until they were half-dead.
Meanwhile, Ryohei was transported safely. The Tanuki Clan executed their plan flawlessly, avoiding detection from every yokai in the area. They constantly altered their appearances, making them impossible to track.
By the time Ren reached the hospital in Kyoto, her allies had already prepared an ambulance and completed the necessary transfer forms.
“All right, I’ll leave him to you,” Ren said.
“Leave it to me, young miss. Glory to the Tanuki Clan!” the driver saluted before immediately driving the ambulance towards Nagano.
“Alright, the mission was successful, thank you all of you, this has brought a big opportunity to the Tanuki Clan.” Ren paid respect to the veterans of the Tanuki Clan, their experience and skill was the whole reason for this mission's complete success.
The veterans bowed respectfully. “It is our duty, young miss. There’s no need for thanks. However…” One of the guards stepped forward, holding out a scroll. “What do we do with this?”
Ren took the scroll and quickly scanned its contents. It was detailed information from the Tengu Clan. Ren only read a little bit, but as expected, their suspicion was correct all along.
For months, the Tanuki Clan had tirelessly gathered clues about the assassination attempt, their investigation pointing to several clans. They did have suspicion towards the Oni Clan, but the evidence they had wasn’t conclusive.
The scroll also revealed that other clans had experienced similar issues. Ren's eyes widened as she read further, it was the first time she heard other clans are having similar problems, one of the victims, the Hebi clan’s young master had also been assassinated. Despite their grief, the Hebi Clan had covered it up, likely to protect themselves from appearing vulnerable to attacks or tempting the perpetrator to come out and bait them to finish the Hebi clan young master to silence him.
Regardless, this information confirmed that some clans were aligned with her cause rather than against her. This presented an opportunity to form alliances.
Ren issued new orders. “I will assign a new task for you. Three of you will look for the extension of this information. This information states ’the one confirmed to be dead’. Which means there are more clans that fall victim to their ploy. I want you to find them, as soon as possible.”
Ren shifts her focus and points at two members behind her, “And you two, go contact the two clans that were confirmed to be the victims to the Oni’s clan plot. Request for their cooperation or suggest an alliance with our patriarch. Alone, we lack the strength to take revenge on the Oni Clan. However, if we unite with others, the ‘small favor’ we have from the Tengu Clan might come in handy during the time we crushed the Oni clan. “
Her guards saluted and departed immediately, “The rest of you follow me back, we’re returning.”
When Ren and the rest arrived back at the clan’s headquarters, they were welcomed by the clan's leader, eager to know the result.
“So, how did it go?” He asked.
“The mission was a success,” Ren reported. “The Oni clan had no idea we were the one behind it.”
“Good. And the spoils?”
“The Tengu clan owes us a ‘Small Favor’ and we obtained some valuable information.”
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The patriarch’s eyes widened in surprise. “The Tengu Clan was the client!?...Haha, excellent! You’ve done a splendid job, my daughter.
“It was nothing,” Ren replied modestly. Although I did make a small mistake… I tried to pry into the details of what the client was protecting, but thankfully, Lord Daitengu forgave my offense."
Tanuki Clan patriarch nod in agreement, “That’s right, at some point, it is better for us to close our eyes regarding some request, especially when dealing with a clan more powerful than ours. Seeking unnecessary information can be seen as disrespectful
“Yes father, I apologize. However, I made sure to gather information through other means.”
As her father was about to sip his tea, he stopped again, astonished by the things his daughter said. Then another laughter rang out, he was impressed by his daughter's crafty nature.
“Although…” Ren hesitated. “I did use some funds in order to accomplish this mission.” Before Ren finished her speech, her father cut through.
“I don’t Mind! Human Money was a secondary need for us, we can always earn more money, but power and connection to the Yokai world was essential for our survival. You cannot obtain everything without anything in exchange, so next time don’t be too greedy to hoard everything without expecting any cost.”
Ren closed her eyes and knelt down, respectfully. “Yes father, I will remember it dearly.”
The patriarch shifted the conversation. “So, about the information you mentioned…”
Ren handed him the scroll she had obtained from the Tengu Clan. As he read it, his expression darkened, and his grip on the scroll tightened.
Noticing his unease, Ren attempted to ease the tension. “I’ve already sent some members to contact the clans who were also victims of the Oni Clan’s schemes.”
The patriarch let out a deep sigh. “Good work, all of you. You may rest now. I will handle the rest.”
“Uh… I have sent some of the members to contact some of the clans that were also the victims of their plot…”
*Sigh…. “Good job all of you, you may return and rest, I will handle the rest.”
With that their meeting ended. On the way to her room, Ren instructed her personal guard to prepare a message, “Send this to the Young Master of the Mujina Clan, Shun Mojin. ‘I will be expecting that additional information soon’. I’m tired, I'll leave the rest of the details to you.”
“Yes young miss, rest well!”
Ren collapsed on her bed and gradually blacked out.
----------------------------------------
Ryohei found himself back in the suffocating darkness of the Hyakki Yagyo. The air was thick with the stench of blood and smoke, and the eerie glow of countless yokai eyes pierced through the shadows. He ran; his legs were heavy as if submerged in quicksand.
Behind him, the thunderous roar of an Oni shook the ground, chasing him relentlessly. The shouts of his friend, Shun, echoed faintly, but no matter how much he glanced at his surroundings, he couldn’t find him. Shadows closed in—grotesque, hulking figures lunging at him. Then, a massive foot struck his chest, slamming him to the ground.
“GAHK!”
Ryohei spat out a mouthful of blood as his lungs burned in agony. He tried to scream, but the Oni’s colossal foot pressed harder against his chest, forcing the air out of his lung. The sharp edges of broken stone pierce into his back as he struggled to free himself, but his limbs refused to move. Around him, the eerie glow of the Hyakki Yagyo’s torches danced like the flames of hell, illuminating the twisted grin of the Oni towering above him.
With a wave of his hands, several Oni crept up and brought another Yokai who failed to run away and got caught by them. Before him, Kawauso lay prone, blood dripping from a gash on his shoulder.
The Oni bent down, its enormous hand reaching out like the claw of a reaper.
“No!” Ryohei screamed, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. He clawed at the ground, desperate to break free, but the weight on his chest only pressed harder.
With a sickening crunch, the Oni snatched Kawauso and lifted him high. The otter yokai struggled, thrashing with what little strength he had left, but it was useless. The Oni opened its gaping maw, a black void lined with jagged teeth and tore into him. Blood sprayed, painting the ground in crimson as Kawauso’s high pitched squeak echoed in Ryohei’s ears, before fading into silence.
“No… no… please…” Ryohei choked, his voice barely audible.
The Oni’s gaze then shifted toward a trembling Koropokkuru, her tiny frame frozen in terror. Clutching a small charm to her chest.
“Run!” Ryohei begged her, but she didn’t move. Frozen in fear, she whispered a prayer, clutching a small charm to her chest.
Oni's hand descended, plucking her from the ground like a doll, cut short as she disappeared into the beast’s gaping mouth.
The grotesque crunching of bones echoed as Ryohei’s vision blurred with tears. His throat felt raw from screaming, his body trembling with helpless rage. “Ha.. Haha… Stop! Please, stop!”
The nightmare grew worse. The Oni turned to Shun, who stood helplessly, his eyes wide with fear. The beast’s massive hand reached out, gripping him. “Shun! No!” Ryohei cried, his voice breaking into a hollow wail.
The Oni devoured Shun with terrifying ease, savoring the moment. Blood dripped from its lips as it turned back to Ryohei, its twisted grin growing wider.
And then he, too, was gone.
The Oni chewed slowly this time, savoring its meal, its eyes never leaving Ryohei. Blood dripped from its lips as it leaned down, so close that Ryohei could smell the stench of death on its breath… then he grinned.
“Oh yeah… You also have a family, right?” it taunted, its voice a cruel mockery.
Images of Ryohei’s family flashed before his eyes—his little sister with her crayons, his mother’s gentle smile, and his father’s protective gaze. Rage ignited within him.
“YOU BASTARD! I DARE YOU!”
The Oni’s laughter echoed, growing louder and louder until it was all Ryohei could hear. Ryohei screamed in pain as Oni's giant hand stabbed through his chest. As sharp claws slowly ripped open his chest and extracted his heart, which was still pulsing with life. A big scary smile appeared on his face.
He crushed the heart as blood spurts everywhere, the heart slowly crystallized into a magatama, and he ate it. Creating crunching sounds as Ryohei kept screaming in agony at every chew the Oni’s made.
“GHAAH!” Ryohei screamed awake, his face was pale as his whole body drenched in sweat. A scent of medicine that stings the nose, unfamiliar ceiling, pitch dark room, with clean white sheets and a soft pillow and bed.
‘W.. Where am I..?’ Ryohei thought, but once he saw outside, he knew where he was.
‘This is a… Hospital!? And in Nagano too! Didn’t I die?’ As he was overwhelmed with disbelief, he tried to pinch his cheek, but just by moving his hand made him feel a sharp pain on his arm.
Unconsciously Ryohei’s tears began to fall, indicating that this is not a dream.
With haste he struggled to get up from his bed, and slowly walked towards the window, looking at the night sky accompanied by the glittering stars and the moon... wait... the moon? Is Hyakki Yagyo over? Or could all the experience he had was just a spite of imagination in his dreams?
No… that can’t be...
Hesitantly, Ryohei tried to turn his finger into a sickle... it did, indicating it wasn't a dream... Wait... Where are Raisen and Hikage!?
He panicked and looked around, and his vision fell towards his bed, next to his pillow was a white fluffy ball of fur, when he tried to stroke it, a small head bops out. When they saw Ryohei's face who had woken up, Raisen and Hikage suddenly jumped in front of Ryohei while squealing happily.
“Haha! Great to see you too buddy. Did you know what happened?” Ask Ryohei, but Raisen and Hikage just shake their heads. Since they also passed out when trying to free Ryohei from the Oni’s grip, they also didn’t know what happened.
“Well, no use on thinking about this, better rest up first and then think afterwards.” Ryohei struggled back to return to his bed and then went back to sleep with both weasels beside him.
The next morning came and the nurse checking on me noticed that I had regained my consciousness. She immediately contacted my family, and they came. The first thing I noticed was my mother's crying face, followed by my little sister who was sobbing and ran towards me. After my father came, I thought he was in Tokyo. Did he return from his work?
*Slap!
My mother slapped me… Even though I saw it coming, and her movement was significantly slower than the Okuri Inu, or her strength was nowhere near Oni’s power.
But her slap felt really painful, everyone started to embrace me afterwards and seeing them all teared up, I couldn't hold up my tears either.
My family told me that I was unconscious for four days, and so my family frantically asked what happened.
Then I told them… When I was buying a crayon for my sister, I tried to take a shortcut through the forest in that pitch dark night, I accidentally tripped and fell, broke my leg and was unable to move. Fortunately, someone found me and called and brought me to the hospital…Is what I told my family, I lied to them… but I think it's for the best of them to not know the truth or their existence.
After all that, I just want to stay far away from that stuff.
----------------------------------------
It has been a week since I got discharged from the hospital and there are few changes. Fortunately, my two weeks of absence from school is recorded as sick leave and today is the day I return.
“Mom, I’m leaving for school!”
I can hear her echo from our warehouse, “Okay, take care! I leave your lunchbox at the dining table and remember! Stay on the road!”
“Yeah, I get it. I’m off!”
Right after I got out of the house, I took a glance back and saw no sight of her nor anyone around. With haste I ran towards the forest.
Ever since that day, Mom kept pestering me to take the road to school through a much further highway, but I secretly took a shortcut to reach my school faster. Besides… I get to use that move.
*Swoosh!
A gust of wind blowing from my back, as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, a warm feeling started to ignite within my heart and slowly enveloped my whole body. A mild refreshing sensation washes over my head, the feeling spreads out like roots accompanied by a chilling touch as if being splashed with cold water.
Within a second, a searing heat surged through my eyes, as if molten fire coursed beneath my skin. My vision burned crimson, and when I blinked, my pupils glowed like bloodied embers. At the same time, the chilling touch in my head grew into a freezing numbness, draining the color from my hair until it shimmered ghostly white. I am back to the appearance I took during the Hyakki Yagyo
With a loud thump, I made one giant leap. My body somersault in the air before landing on a tree. I kept thinking to myself, even though I survived through all that hell and wanted to live a normal life away from it… this is the only thing I can’t let go.
‘Just for traveling when no one is around, that’s it... I will not use it for anything else.’ I thought, convincing myself.
When I was about to leave, I heard another squeal from afar. I turned back and saw Raisen and Hikage, “Oh hey there, you’re coming with me too?” The squeal again and effortlessly rode the wind and reached me.
Since then, they have become more attached to me. Previously we just got along well, but now they keep tagging on whatever I was doing, sleeping, eating, they even sneak into the bath too. Normally people don’t take baths with their pets, do they? Considering hygiene and their condition to not be able to take hot baths… but since they’re yokai, I didn’t think much of it.
With this ability, I jumped between tree to tree, and if each tree had a big gap, I compensated for it by stepping on the wind, as morning winds are quite strong. The weasels catch up pretty easily with my pace. Before I realized it, I had already reached the end of the hill.
The time it took for me to ascend and descend the hill was less than half the usual. Right before entering the urban area, I undo my transformation.
With a deep breath, I exhale.
“I was able to control my transformation now…Going forward while in that form might be bad, I’ll just walk normally.”
Even though this is an abandoned urban area where no one resides in it, I still can’t take the risk of someone seeing me. With a hint of sad expression, I sighed while glancing at the scenery surrounding me.
‘As I expected… This is permanent.’ I muttered to myself; the reason was because of my vision. Even when I tried to not look at them, I couldn't help but notice them. As I passed the river, I noticed a hairy head with bald in the center, and a pair of eyes staring at me. It’s a Kappa, I closed my eyes and shifted my vision, ignoring it as if not noticing it, but it just wouldn’t disappear.
They’re everywhere
From one eyed fat bird in the sky, blue colored snail yokai near riverbanks, to ghosts floating around the abandoned home. Raisen and Hikage climb to my shoulder and glaring at them.
I chuckled, “Are you trying to intimidate them? Don’t worry we are not in that place anymore, no one will attack us.”
Soon after I reached my school, before entering I dropped Raisen and Hikage. “Okay we have arrived, see you later.”
Both squeals as if wanting to follow me inside, but… “No no no, school is off limits. If I bring you in, I’d get into trouble. Just… go play somewhere else please? Until I finish school alright?”
Looking dejected, both give up and scurry away. Feeling nervous after a while from school, I took a deep breath to calm myself, although I’m a second year now, I barely had any friends. Mostly because of going back and forth between Tokyo and Nagano, they are not as open as people from big cities. People who are friends often make groups among themselves, and only those who have been friends since they’re young are considered to be part of the groups. Outsider or new student will just be a casual friend that you barely had any contact with.
“Good morning, Usui. You’re early today!”
A soft feminine voice came from behind me, a light taps at my shoulder and she passed by.
“Kanzaki, thanks for the other day. Sorry for troubling you.”
She shook her head, “It’s fine, it's not a big deal.” as she tiptoed her way inside, while asking with a curious look. “By the way have you fully recovered?”
“Yes, thanks to the fruit you brought me the other day.”
“Haha, that’s just fruit, it wouldn’t magically heal you up!”
I jokingly said that, during my stay, she has been visiting me several times while also bringing some assignments I missed, and she even took a copy note for me. So that I don’t miss any material covered in class.
We continued chattering until we reached our class… A Peaceful happy daily life like this is what I strive for, isn't it?
Yeah… I was happy…
I was supposed to be happy…
But what is this hollow, aching emptiness feeling I sense in my heart?