[A/N: short chap went to work and was too tired to write a 2-4k word chap. EDIT: never mind its 7.7k]
The figures that had crowded the shadows of a warehouse quickly separated as the sun rose over the horizon. Spreading throughout the city, they slipped into the homes of those still asleep, stealing anything they found that carried even a hint of [value].
Others, however, weren't just stealing. They were searching for something—or, more precisely, someone.
Given the task of finding any trace of the [Osore no Gu] scroll or the boy who had its miasma clinging to him, the figures examined every child in the homes they entered who matched the description they had been given.
Finding nothing, they left without a word and without leaving a trace, sinking back into the shadows as they continued their search.
Back at the place where the figures had departed from, a youkai sat atop a pile of trinkets, examining his haul as he thought to himself.
It had only been a month since the Young Lord had recruited him to join his group, and in that month, all they had done was stay cooped up in the northern section of the city, twiddling their thumbs while waiting for Kurotabo.
And yet, even after all their preparations, the scroll was still not in their hands.
Ryūzaburō personally didn't care. In fact, he was rather happy to have finally left the Shikoku region. This new city was practically a playground, filled with new delicacies waiting for him to discover. With the Young Lord's protection, he could truly indulge himself until he was satisfied.
And yet, somehow, it still wasn't enough.
Ryūzaburō wanted more.
Although he was new to the group, he had already seen how ambitious their Young Lord was and how far he was willing to go to achieve his goals. But a child was still a child. No matter how great his ambitions were, without the strength to back them up, they were nothing more than dreams.
So how was the Young Lord so certain that he could accomplish them?
Before joining the group, Ryūzaburō had taken the time to examine the Young Lord's past and from their month together understood a bit of his character. It had been intriguing. Born as the eighth son of one of the three great Shikoku tanuki the young lord was half human and youkai, he wanted to create a new clan that could eventually overtake his father's and rule the Shikoku region.
What a ridiculous ambition. This could cause strife and many blood to be spilt of the clan he wish to take over if he went down this path. Having to kill those who were raised along side you so you could get power showed the kind-a man their 'young lord'.
And yet, somehow, it had been enough to convince three gangs under his father's clan to join him in his goals.
Still, that wasn't what had impressed Ryūzaburō. All he saw was the profit he could make from the chaos such an ambition would inevitably create.
But Ryūzaburō was also not a fool. He had lived long enough to know that there was usually someone else standing behind the figurehead of any movement.
And their Young Lord was surely that figurehead puppet.
To plan everything a month before the monk who would guard the [Osore no Gu] had even been decided, then choosing a city where the influence of the Daiyokai and the Five Great Families was weaker so the Young Lord could quietly build his power—it was far too calculated for a child to have accomplished alone.
There was definitely someone else pulling the strings.
And if that was the case, Ryūzaburō wanted no part in whatever game they were playing and be a pawn to be use and discarded when needed.
However he wasn't about to walk away when he had the opportunity to make the biggest profit of his life. If everything went according to plan, he could become as wealthy as an entire clan.
And all of it revolved around that [Osore no Gu].
As he thought about it, a youjutsu circle suddenly formed around his ears.
A voice was transmitted through it.
"I heard you might have some information on a piece of a scroll that I might be interested in."
A wide grin spread across Ryūzaburō's face, twisting his bestial features into the ugly smile of a hyena as he sniffed the contents of a jar labeled 12-B.
**********************************
After finish drinking his cup of tea and changing into better clothes, Rikuo and Kenjiro finally left the house. Walking along the street Kenjiro sniffed about trying to caught any scent familar to the one he memorized as Rikuo followed behind.
Turning the corner, the two finally left the residential area and reached the main street. It was still early in the morning as the street was still filled with the nights cool, and with it being Golden Week, not many people were going to work, leaving the streets relatively empty and the roads with fewer cars.
Yawning as they walked, Rikuo looked around, seeing Karui youkai lurking about in the shadows even though still new to seeing youkai Rikuo eyes did not linger on them as his eye turned back to the path Kenjiro was leading him.
Early-2000s cars drove through the roads, while advertisements of lottery and others were plastered across the buildings they passed.
Rikuo seeing the lottery ad reminisced about the plan he had made before all of this happened: getting rich and eventually owning a yacht filled with maids. But now that he knew the world he lived in was supernatural, should he still continue with that plan or trash it and focus on the one of his childhood dreams of learning magic or youjutsu?
But then Rikuo remembered the prices he had seen hanging above the items in Haneme's shop. Even within the supernatural side of this world, money was still important.
Shaking his head to get rid of thoughts about his current financial situation, Rikuo looked around before calling out to Kenjiro walking in front of him.
"Kenjiro, why don't you transform into a human form? It would be easier for us to talk in public rather than making me look like a shy boy whoes only friend is a cat."
[A/N: I don't know if I already said this, but just in case.]
Still sniffing around, Kenjiro continued to walk north.
"I still can't transform. My body hasn't recovered yet, and my yoki is still weak."
"Even if I did, all it would do is make my wounds open up and become worse than they already are. So you're just going to have to deal with being a seen as weirdo"
"Is that so?"
Walking up to Kenjiro, Rikuo picked him up, and placed him on his head.
"With this, you can smell higher up in the air than you can from the ground, and we can keep talking without me having to whisper that much."
Adjusting himself on Rikuo's head, Kenjiro continued sniffing around, searching for the scent of the youkai.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"
Picking up his pace Rikuo let out a small cough before saying what was on his mind
"I'm still new to being a youkai, so I'm curious about our culture and where most youkai live in the spirit world. So could you tell me how you grew up, what did your hometown look like?"
"So you want to know about my hometown eh? Alright, I'll tell you, turn left here."
Turning left Rikuo kept on walking as Kenjiro began talking about his hometown.
"Mmm where should i begin... I grew up on a island in the spirit world..."
Kenjiro with a tone of reminiscing began to talk about his home on a island in the spirit world
The island was filled with low valleys and beautiful plains of grass that looked like a green sea. It was an island inhabited mostly by nekomata, who would play in the grass throughout the day and when night came, the shores and rivers flowing through the valleys and plains would glow a luminescent blue.
As the water of the island glowed beneath the night sky and fireflies flew through the air, the nekomata would catch the fish swimming through the rivers. It was a peaceful island, and the youkai who lived there were also kind.
However, one could not stay on an island for their entire life. When the nekomata on the island came of age, they would venture out into the world to experience and everything it had to offer.
Some nekomata would return after experiencing the world telling stories of their venture, sometimes bringing a spouse back with them and stay on the island. While Others would aint fully return, only visiting from time to time, keeping in contact and supporting the island in their own way.
"Wow your home truly sounds like a paradise. It sounds like a place I would ain't mind staying for the rest of my life. But with an island filled with just nekomata, are other youkai allowed to live there too?"
"Yes. In fact, we're quite accepting of others coming to visit. But to actually stay and live there, you have to marry one or more nekomata from the island."
"Diverse, I see"
'Wait a minute 'marry one or more' is polygamy allowed?'
"Oh right let me tell you about the biggest fish native on the island. I caught on when i was just 6 and it was twice your size its had red scales with flame pattern on it--"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait what did you say? Repeat that."
Rikuo halted in his tracks refusing to move until he confirm what he just heard.
"Ah so you're that interested in my biggest caught well i will tell you from the beginning"
"No not the fish the other thing you said!"
"Hmm that we are quite accepting of other youkais?"
"No, the other part."
"To stay and live on the island, you must marry one or more nekomata that live there?"
"Yeah! You can marry more than one of the nekomata there. Would ain't that a bit greedy? Wouldn't that lessen the swimming pool there for the native guys?"
Scratching his ears Kenjiro responded with a non interested tone as if discussing weather.
"Hmm, no, not really. It's actually kind of helpful for us. You see, the birth rate for female nekomata is higher than that of males, so it's not uncommon to see a male nekomata with multiple wives."
"Heck, my father even had eight wives. But because the ratio is so skewed, female nekomata are either left without a mate or marry guys who's already married. So new male youkai are appreciated heck that also a reason why we are sent out when we come of age. The girls will use this chance to find a partner outside the island"
'Eight wives, huh? A island filled with lonely cat girls and a law that allows a man to be greedy. This island might truly be a paradise'
"Kenjiro, when this scroll issue is finished, let's visit your home I want to experience your island culture first hand ."
"Vist home, huh..."
Vivid colours of red flashed across Kenjiro's mind as he remembered the taste of blood that filled his mouth.
"Home, yeah I would like to go back there too. If i ever decide to go back i will bring you along don't have your hopes up though."
Hearing that, Rikuo became more excited and pumped his fist into the air and a single tear formed in his eyes.
'Elon, our dream has finally come true. I'll make sure to experience it fully --- for the both of us.'
Putting his dreams aside though, Rikuo could hear the nostalgic yet sad tone in Kenjiro's voice and remembering what he had said earlier, and understood that he shouldn't dig any deeper into the subject of 'visiting' yet.
"So you said your father had eight wives, so that means you must have siblings, right?"
"Yeah. I have an older brother and a younger sister 2 years younger than me , and she's the cutest in the village."
As Kenjiro spoke about his family in a lighter tone, Rikuo continued walking while the sun rose higher into the sky as the night's cool faded from the street.
...
...
...
...
...
5 Hours Later
In a small park children laughter filled the air as they ran around however the joyfull atmosphere that surrounded them was the complete opposite to on the other side of the park.
Now sitting on a park bench with the sun high above their heads, Kenjiro was sprawled out across the seat, watching the cicadas fly by. Exhausted and sleepy, Rikuo let out a sigh as sweat beaded on his face.
Five hours. Five hours of walking around, and yet they had found nothing related to that youkai.
If the youkai was a serial thief, then surely this part of town would be within his range. Yet after five hours of searching, Kenjiro hadn't caught even the slightest trace of him, making Rikuo's assumption that the youkai was still operating in this part of the city seem increasingly unlikely.
"Kenjiro, let's head back. I'm too tired to keep looking, and the thief doesn't seem to be working today."
Wiping the sweat from his face, Rikuo looked tiredly toward the playground ahead of them, where a girl was kicking sand into the faces of some of the other children playing.
Getting up from the bench, Rikuo stretched as he let out a yawn and look to the clear sky. Persistence was important but when looking for something you are more likely to find it. Following this rule he knew when to give up, if they kept on going they would be just be wasting time.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry I couldn't find anything."
"No worries. Next time we go to Hanabi Street, we can just bring you along. You can probably sniff him out there than on the street in broad daylight."
Getting up from the bench as well, Kenjiro stretched before jumping onto Rikuo's shoulder, too tired to walk back.
"Tell you what. Let's try again tomorrow. If he's a serial thief, I doubt such a youkai can suppress his nature of stealing forever."
"Nature huh"
Picking up Kenjiro, Rikuo placed him back onto his head as a few kid a distance a way watched curiously as one pointed them out.
"Mom he is talking to that cat"
"Shh honey don't point at people like that and thats why you need friends so go and play with the others over there"
The mother hurriedly push their child to the other as a complex expression formed on Rikuo's face before turning around.
"Whatever, Anyways Kenjiro about that multple marriage thing is that just a--"
In that instance Kenjiro eye shoot open from his lazy expression
"Shh shut up for a second"
Slapping his paw on Rikuo's head Kenjiro quickly looked around.
"What is it?"
"I think i smell something"
Hearing that Rikuo became alert. His philosophy of flowing with the current was real after all it had stroke just when they were about to give up.
Turning his head Kenjiro sniffed the air as a familar scent caught his attention. Caughting the scent and the direction it was coming from Kenjiro turned to the right as his eyes narrowing.
Looking towards a mom of one the children Kenjiro spotted something beneath the bench she sat on. Hidden in the shadow and a part of there body outside of the bush, was a small figure.
The figure was covered in a dark cloak, keeping most of their body hidden. Slowly stretching one hand toward the purse of the mother who sat above it. Seeing the youkai Kenjiro's eyes widened.
"Rikuo to your 4 o'clock under the bench the moms are sitting on"
A bit surprise that Kenjiro might have actually found something Rikuo quickly turned his head toward his right him and he also saw what Kenjiro saw. A small figure covered in a cloak poping half of its body out of the flower bushes.
The description of the youkai Haneme gave match perfectly with the creature a head of them all be it a bit short than he had expected. Never the less seeing the thief Rikuo did not rush forward.
"So that's him..."
The youkai's hand had just grab a ring out of one of the moms purses who where sitting watching their children and was moving on to the next.
"Yeah that youkai has the same scent as the one on the hanafuda earrings but am surprise his scent just popped out of nowhere"
Watching the youkai do its work Rikuo quickly thought of plan. Taking Kenjiro off his head Rikuo spoke.
"I have a plan I'll circle around behind the bench and flower bushes and get behind him. When i raise my hand above the bushes you run at him and we do a pincer attack."
Hearing the plan Kenjiro nodded his head before being placed on the ground.
"Got it."
"Wait here until I give you the signal."
Rikuo began walking away, casually without making it obvious that he was targeting the youkai. Taking one more glance at him Rikuo quickly making his way around.
....
As Rikuo made his way around the park and Kenjiro prepared himself to rush forward, the little thief had already managed to steal from the mothers sitting on the bench. One by one, it quietly slipped its hand toward their belongings and took what it could without being noticed.
Only one victim remained.
Now at the mother who had earlier used Rikuo as an example to her child was still sitting on the bench, the small figure hiding beneath her stretched his hand towards her purse.
Rikuo had finally made his way around the park and was now behind the piles of bushes. Setting himself up to caught the thief Rikuo looked around taking note of any escape routes the youkai could take.
Even though he could not see Kenjiro Rikuo knew he was ready and with that he raised his hand in the air above the bushes giving the signal.
Seeing Rikuo's hand Kenjiro immediately rushed forward. Still focus on the mother's purse the youkai did not notice the cat charging towards its way until Kenjiro already crossed half the distance.
Hearing dirt quickly being kicked up the youkai turned head toward the noise and finally saw Kenjiro already a quater the distance left before it reach it running their way. Its hands reaching for the purse immediately stopped and it eyes widen under the dark cloak.
Realizing it had been spotted, the youkai quickly pulled its hand back and immediately tried to escape into the bushes. However Kenjiro was already on their tail and tackle them through the bushes
The flower bush shook violently as the commotion surprise the mothers on the bench jump scaring them to step away from the benches
*Thud*
*Thud*
*Meow*
*Thud*
After that final thud the flower bush stop shaking and went eerily silent. But in that moment a figure rushed out running towards Rikuo who was still paitently waiting.
The figure dashed out of the final bush and in it's path was Rikuo with his arms wide open and a small smirk on his face
"Gotcha you!"
Grabbing a whole of the thief Rikuo was struggling to hold him down. However, the youkai's small stature worked to its advantage. It ducked underneath Rikuo's reaching hand, causing him to only catch the edge of its cloak.
The cloak slipped free from the youkai's body as it continued running now on all fours' and its true appearance could be seen. Their mascline appearance was clear to see, his face was that of a panther with the head of a bald monk and underneath the cloak that was torn from him were trinket that he had stolen clinging to his body.
Now free from Rikuo grasp the youkai began to run on all fours in the opposite direction
"Damn!"
Rikuo quickly turned around and saw the small thief sprinting away in the distance and without hesitation ran after him.
"He's getting away, Kenjiro lets go"
Kenjiro immediately followed behind shaking his head as he ran out of the bushes behind Rikuo.
The two chased the youkai out of the park to others it seem as if a boy and cat was running after a dog on the walkway, with the small figure using its size to weave between passerby's and other obsticiles.
Even though Rikuo was not in his youkai form after his first transformation his body had gone under minor changes over the pass few days. His stamina had increase his muscles had become more define and his dynamic eye sight could track movement better.
Although these changes were minor with them Rikuo was able to keep pace with the theif. But even so he was still human and a child at that so after chasing down the youkai for 200 meter Rikuo was running out of breath and Kenjiro was the same right beside him
"Rikuo we can't let him escape we have to pick up the pace"
"I'm trying!"
The thief continued sprinting through the streets, slowly increasing the distance between them and for a quick second turned and darted into the alley in between two buildings.
Even though out of breath they quickly following after him and finally after reach the corner the two ran into the alley making sure the block the entrance. Expecting to see the youkai cornered and scarred but what meet them was a dead end alley with crates and ladder close to the one of the building exist and a bicycle locked around a pole.
"Hu... hu... Damn it, where did he go"
Stopping to catch their breath, Rikuo and Kenjiro looked around the alley. Searching through the crates and looking behind the ladder the two could not find any trace of the thief. Taking a sniff of the air a puzzled expression appeared on Kenjiro's face.
"His scent ... its gone its as if he got spirited away"
"So what he got teleport how are we suppose to catch a youkai who can teleport"
Still sniffing around to make sure he did not miss anything Kenjiro turn to Rikuo who was now sitting on one of the crates.
"No i doubt he can teleport, the yoki i felt from him was that of a Karui youkai such a low rank youkai can't teleport unless he's of a youkai race known for their disappearance"
"So is he youkai known for their disappearance, we did get a clear view of his appearance after he ditched his cloak so must have figure what race he is right?"
"Yeah I did figure what kind of youkai he is but it's not a youkai known for their disappearance"
Walking over to where Rikuo was sitting shook of the dirt that was still in his fur
"He's a [Kuro bōzu]. A youkai known for its perversion of sucking the [breath] of women and stealing, but they usually work at night. I'm surprised we saw one stealing in broad daylight. The youkai in this city are getting more active."
"So if he's a youkai known for that how did he just disappear "
"I don't know maybe he use a magic tool or some unique youjustu. You can't just determine the capability of a youkai just based on their race"
Letting out another sigh, Rikuo dragged his hands across his face as he looked towards the entrance of the alley. As upset as he was, he knew he didn't have the energy to express it right now.
'We were so close. I had him literally in the palms' of my hand if i was in my youkai form i know i could have hold him down'
Looking at his hands Rikuo clench and release them before turning his head towards the alley's entrance.
"Lets just head back you can't smell him anywhere and am basically useless until night time our best option right now is to tell Kurotabo what we found out about the thief"
"Yeah, you're right when we get back home lets tell Kurotabo what we found"
*GRRRRRR*
"...."
"..."
As the two came to same conclusion both their stomach growled the noise echoing through the alley. Searching for 5 hours and chasing after that youkai had now completly drained them of the energy they had gotten from breakfast.
"I guess both of us are hungry after that chase, lets get something to eat on our way back
Getting of the crate Rikuo began walking back to the entrance as Kenjiro followed. Reaching the street where the sunlight beamed of the building windows Rikuo looked back one last timeat the alley before continuing walking.
"So what do you want me to get for you your fav fish and tofu meal from the store"
Hearing that Kenjiro slowed down a bit
"You know now that i can actually talk to you i have to let you know I don't like tofu i prefer chicken"
"my bad but you always ate the tofu"
"it was either that, cat food or your cooking i had no choice"
"..... fair but you could have eaten the cat food then"
" I maybe a cat youkai but to actually eat cat food is only for last resorts that like me asking you to eat at Tarby's or that brown part of the banana"
"I see your point but what about cats that turn into nekomata then, do they still eat it"
"They-"
As the two continue bickering talked while walking home a pair of eyes watched them from the shadows noting the appearance of the boy that had chased it down and the direction they were going.
**********************************************
Finally reaching home, it was already past 1, and as Kenjiro and Rikuo entered, they knew Kurotabo had returned, seeing as four empty cans of beer were sitting on the counter.
Seeing Kurotabo searching through the fridge, trying to find something to eat, Rikuo called out.
"Kurotabo, you need to get a phone. We found the youkai that stole the ring, but we couldn't get to you."
"Seriously?" Turning around with bread in his mouth, Kurotabo shut the fridge before walking over with another beer in his hand. "That's good. I also have some news tell you guys. The youkai looking for the scroll don't seem to be active and are huddled up in the northern section of the city."
"But the bad news is they seem to be keeping watch on the gateway to the Spirit World, like I thought."
Hearing that, Rikuo wasn't disappointed. He had already assumed anyone who really wanted the scroll that badly wouldn't let anyone escape with it so easily.
And with the possibility of someone selling Kurotabo out, the best thing to do was to stay here anyway where no one knew where he was.
Seeing as the option to escape to the Spirit World was truly off the table, Rikuo looked toward the brighter side of this bad news.
*Yawn*
"Well, since they're huddled up in the northern section, that just means you can actually go out without worrying about being spotted and attack them."
"Yeah, but I realize it's still a bit risky for me to have the scroll on hand whenever I'm out." Taking the scroll from his sleeve, Kurotabo began to spin it between his fingers. "Even if they're not fully active, I doubt they've stopped looking for the scroll. They're probably just making sure anyone who has it can't leave the city."
"And since they failed to kill me, they're probably looking for me as well. So I need to find a way to move around without having to worry about losing it again."
Putting his leftovers in the fridge, Rikuo walked out of the kitchen, leaving Kenjiro behind as he entered the living room.
"Damn, they're persistent. Have you figured out who these youkai are, and why do they even want the scroll?"
"I did. Last night, I found some information on them. They call themselves the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō."
Falling onto the couch adjacent to Kurotabo, an expression of confusion surfaced on Rikuo's face. The name sounded familiar. Since this world was based on Nura, Rikuo recalled the plot he could remember and remembered a group whose name was the same in the show.
But this group's goals seemed to be different from the one in the anime, whose goal was to destroy the Nura Clan and take their territory. Instead, this group was after the Akumu no Yurikago, and their reason for it was still unknown.
"Youkai from Shikoku, huh? Ain't that your home region? I guess your assumptions were right. Someone is selling you out. Do you have any idea who it could be?"
Kurotabo shrugged and took another sip of the beer in his hands.
"I haven't a clue who would want me dead. For the past few years, I've been in the monastery, only going out when requested or for events."
"I have no enemies who's alive that I know of, at least. And since that's the case, it's best if I don't report back to the monastery in Shikoku that I have the scroll. Otherwise..."
Kurotabo did not need to say more. It was easy to prepare yourself for an enemy who's out in the open, but for one who's unseen, an attack could come from any direction. Realizing that there were even more youkai targeting Kurotabo, the room became quiet.
Either way, now knowing who those youkai were still didn't give Rikuo any answer as to why they would want that dusty old scroll or what their purpose was in this city, far from the Shikoku region.
Seeing as the Nura Clan didn't exist, their goal of destroying it also didn't exist. So what was their new goal? Why were they here, and why did they need the scroll?
Seeing as one of those questions could be answered right now, Rikuo spoke up, hoping the answer could shed some light on the rest.
"Kurotabo, what can that scroll even do for them to kill you over it?"
Turning on the TV, Kurotabo switched through the channels as he spoke.
"I can't say I know much about what it can do, but I was told some information about it when I was assigned to guard it."
"This Osore no Gu scroll that's bonded to you is called Akumu no Yurikago."
Hearing the Osore no Gu's name, Kenjiro's ears perked up from within the kitchen as he looked around in shock at Kurotabo.
"Wait, did you just say Akumu no Yurikago?"
"Oh, do you know of it as well?"
Jumping off the stool, Kenjiro arced across the air before landing on Rikuo's head, who still didn't understand the big deal about this scroll.
"Yeah, I do. My father told me about it. After all, the original owner once visited our home and wrote a story about it."
"Wrote a story about your home? So the owner was a storyteller?"
"Yeah, and a famous one at that. You probably even heard of his works. After all, he was the one who wrote and illustrated majority of the stories about youkai in the past. He was known to humans by the name Toriyama Sekien, but to us youkai, he was Banri the [wind carrier] and he was half youkai and human. It's said he traveled across Japan, keeping records of the youkai he met in his scroll."
After hearing the original owner's name, Rikuo recalled his Japanese history. Toriyama Sekien was the pen name of famous Edo-period ukiyo-e artist who illustrated works depicting yōkai and tid bits of their story. It would not be wrong to say he help build the image of youkai in japans culture well this version of Japan atleast.
Now thinking about it could other famous historical individual be related to youkai or exorcists. It would not be surprise to Rikuo if it turnout Oda Nobunaga was a oni since his behavior truly match one.
With his intrest piqued Rikuo decided to ask Kurotabo about it later but while Rikuo was in his though Kenjiro and Kurotabo continue to talk.
"Even though he was a storyteller, to travel across the entire country in those days required immense strength. Youkai were more rampant back then, and if the information I got is true, he was able to record over a hundred different kinds of youkai before he died and his scroll became an Osore no Gu."
"Wait, so you're telling me that my gramps' life was taken because of a storybook?"
"No, no, no. It's not just any storybook, but a true record of hundreds of youkai, including their abilities, habits, and weaknesses. Even the most secretive youkai might have a record in it too."
Realization dawned on Rikuo's tired mind as he made a double take between the scroll and Kenjiro. Rikuo had played many Monster Hunter games in his past life, and because of that, he knew how beneficial it was to know the habits and weaknesses of the creatures he hunted.
Usually, to get that kind of information, you would either have to die a couple of times to figure out their weaknesses or go through a guide created by fellow players.
In other words, this scroll was basically a fandom wiki for youkai made by Banri. In a world filled with youkai, this type of information was precious.
Rikuo looked up at Kenjiro with a shocked face.
"So it's a cheat sheet for handling youkai at its most basic use"
"Yeah. Sadly, this is not the true Akumu no Yurikago, just a parchment that was torn off. When Banri died, news spread fast that his scroll remained and was now a special-rank Osore no Gu."
"With the kind of information in the scroll and its other possible abilities, war broke out amongst youkai clans over it."
"I heard from my father that even the five great families got involved. That's how precious it was. But during that war, the scroll was torn into pieces. The five great families took a piece, two went into the hands of two Daiyokai, and the locations of the other pieces are unknown, so that means..."
Kurotabo stopped spinning the scroll and placed his empty beer can on the coffee table.
"This piece is one that was recently found. From what I was told, it was found a few years ago and was sent from the main Sect to the Shikoku branch to safeguard. Currently, it's said to be the smallest piece of the [Akumu no Yurikago] currently known."
As Kurotabo and Kenjiro talked, Rikuo's face, which had darkened, slowly lightened up.
At this moment, Rikuo could only lament his misfortune. He knew the scroll was important, but just how important—important enough to cause an actual war—had never crossed his mind. He thought the scroll was like gold during the Gold Rush, when people became obsessed with finding gold, but this truly showed how dangerous the thing attached to him really was.
Luckily, it was just a small piece of the Akumu no Yurikago that was bonded to him. If it was the complete Akumu no Yurikago, damage to his soul due to a rushed breaking of his bond would be the least of his concerns.
"Wait, Kurotabo, even if it is just a piece of the [Akumu no Yurikago], it's still important, so why are you here instead of the Shikoku monastery with it? Don't tell me you're on the run after stealing it."
Even though Kurotabo matched the youkai in the he had watched anime from his experience in this world, everything was different. As such, Rikuo knew not to base any assumptions on the characters he would recognize from the show.
Even if Kurotabo did steal the scroll, since he was now helping him break the bond, Rikuo would not care about his crimes and would instead focus on the present and his situation.
*Scoff.*
"I never steal and never lie unless it has something to do with alcohol or someone's woman. The reason why I'm outside of the Shikoku branch monastery with the Akumu no Yurikago is because recently the monastery has been under attack."
"Youkai have been trying to break into the vaults of the monastery, and fearing that one might succeed, our head priest decided to hide some of the important objects by sending them off with some of the stronger monks of the monastery while they handle the issue."
"I was just randomly assigned the Akumu no Yurikago and was sent off here. But right now, I don't think it was random. Someone at the Shikoku branch might be working with the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō here. But let's put that on hold. They currently don't know where I am, nor that I have it, so we can rest easy."
"Now tell me, what did you find out about the youkai that stole your grandfather's ring?"
"It was a [Kuro bōzu]"
"A Kuro bōzu huh a yokai known for stealing the [breath] of women instead of trinkets and you said, you saw him stealing other's stuff during the day thats a bit ambitions of him"
"Yeah the youkai in this town have been getting more active since 2 weeks agoits as if they are getting ready for something"
"hhmm two weeks ago the same time i was assign the scroll"
Now, with some of his questions answered, even more had popped up in Rikuo's head. Why did the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō want this piece of the scroll that probably didn't even contain many records? Who was selling Kurotabo out? And what were the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō's current goals in the city?
Rikuo remained silent for a moment, processing everything he had just learned. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made.
In the present, information about youkai was much easier to access and share. The stories Banri had created had become more widespread, and information about how to avoid certain youkai was far more available than it had been in the past.
So unless the scroll contained even more weaknesses of youkais that was already known, or perhaps important information within it, Rikuo couldn't understand why the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō would go so far to obtain it.
'Unless the scroll has an ability that they wanted.'
The thought lingered in Rikuo's mind, but he was far too exhausted to think about it any further. He had already spent hours searching for the thief and hadn't slept in over fifteen hours he was now completely exhausted.
'Am too tired to deal with this right now.'
Rubbing his eyes that were getting blurry Rikuo let out another yawn as he took Kenjiro off his head on placed him on the couch
"Well, I'm heading to bed. This is a lot to take in and am exhausted best if I rest for a bit."
Saying that, Rikuo began walking toward his room. One step at a time his remaining strength leaving his body
But before he could make it very far, something within the shadows of the house moved. A figure suddenly jumped from one of the shadows in the room, launching itself toward the Kurotabo sitting on the couch passing Kenjiro.
Kurotabo's eyes immediately snapped toward the figure rushing at him. With in a fraction of a second, his hand shoot forward as his staff shot from darkness of his sleeves at incredible speed, impaling the figure midair.
"What?!"
Rikuo drowsiness immediately disappeared as he and Kenjiro both turned toward the sudden attack and looked at the figure impaled on Kurotabo's staff.
As the figure's cloak fell behind their head their bestial appearance could be seen by everyone in the room.
"That's the youkai!"
Kenjiro still shock from what had just happen immediately recognize the figure. But before anyone could make another move, the youkai face split into a wide grinned as the shadows of the house moved.
Dozen of small figures similar to the one impaled emerged from the shadows scattered throughout the house jumping towards Kurotabo.
"More of them?!"
Two of the figures emerging from the couch's shadows grabbed onto Kurotabo's legs while the rest jumped across the furniture at him from different directions.
Kurotabo's expression hardened as he swung his staff, knocking the airborne youkai away one after another coming his way but more and more emerged.
Rikuo and Kenjiro was doing no better as dozens of figures tried pinning them down but failed as Kenjiro agile dodge and attack back and Rikuo although not in his youkai form was still able to handle them due to their small stature.
But it did not last long.
Rikuo was already exhausted from his earlier search and lack of sleep. His movements began to become sluggish as more and more of these youkai piled onto him, until he was completely overwhelmed. Several of the youkai managed to grab him and force him down onto the ground.
"GGGHAAA!"
"Rikuo!"
Both Kurotabo and Kenjiro's attention immediately shifted toward him as he fell, leaving a brief opening that the youkai immediately took advantage of.
Within that split second, with Kurotabo's attention redirected toward Rikuo being pinned down and Kenjiro clawing his way toward him, one of the figures slipped around behind Kurotabo, traveling through the shadows of the living room.
Jumping out of the shadow behind him, the youkai quickly pulled a knife from its cloak and stabbed Kurotabo's hand—the one holding the scroll.
Feeling the sharp pain in his hand, Kurotabo's grip loosened, causing the scroll to fall from his hand as his attention was brought back to the attacker.
Seeing the scroll drop, the figure that had stabbed Kurotabo quickly grabbed it and began running in the opposite direction of the commotion, heading toward the nearest shadow.
Seeing the figure attempting to escape into the shadows, Kurotabo quickly understood how they had managed to enter the house without him noticing. They were similar to him, capable of using shadows.
Realization struck him as his yoki spiked, causing the air around him to become cold.
If he let them escape into the shadows with the scroll, the chances of getting it back would be slim.
*Splash*
*Splash*
*Splash*
Weapons suddenly erupted from Kurotabo's shadow, shooting outward in every direction. The weapons pierced through the youkai surrounding him, forcing the others rushing toward him back as Kurotabo swung his sleeves toward the one carrying the scroll, firing a spear that impaled it just before it entered the shadow.
Being impaled through the chest did not stop the youkai. With its final breath, before turning into that black mud, it threw the scroll toward another of its kind.
Like a hot potato, the figures began passing the scroll along. One after another, Kurotabo fired weapons from his sleeves, striking them down as they caught it.
Kurotabo gritted his teeth as the scroll continued changing hands. Then, a youkai that was already half-submerged into the shadow caught it, grinning at him.
"RIKUO!!"
From behind him, Kenjiro shouted again. Not only did he see Rikuo being held down, but he also saw him slowly submerging into the shadow beneath him, with half of his body already gone.
Hearing Kenjiro shout, Kurotabo wanted to turn around and see what had happened, but doing so would give the youkai carrying the scroll an opportunity to escape.
Now caught between a rock and a hard place, Kurotabo's youki spiked even further, nearing the limit before the poison took effect. He decided to deal with the youkai carrying the scroll first.
As the youkai quickly submerged into the shadow, Kurotabo, who had been standing in one place all this time, suddenly vanished. The weapons surrounding him parted, giving way to the youkai.
Nearly completely submerged and still wearing a grin, the youkai failed to notice that its descent had stopped.
Instead, it was going up.
"[蜂起 Hōki (Uprising)]"
Kurotabo appeared behind the grinning youkai, his shadow merging with the youkai's before he used his technique. A sword shot forth from his shadow, piercing through the submerged figure. Its descent stopped completely as its body was forced upward, emerging from the shadow.
A look of shock appeared on the youkai's face as it was skewered on the blade, staring at Kurotabo.
"Never challenge a specialist in their field."
With that, Kurotabo took the scroll from the youkai's hand as its body dissolved into that murky blob of substance.
Kurotabo quickly looked toward the others and finally saw what was happening.
Kenjiro, who was still trying to reach Rikuo, was now pinned down by a dozen youkai. Rikuo, meanwhile, was rapidly being submerged into the shadow, with only his head remaining above the surface.
Seeing this scene Kurotabo immediately thrust his staff forward. Several weapons erupted from his shadow and shot toward the youkai surrounding Rikuo, piercing through them and forcing them away.
But it was already too late.
Rikuo's head slipped beneath the shadow.
At the same moment, the weapons Kurotabo had fired disappeared into the darkness alongside him.
Drip.
"RIKUO!"
[A/N: Yollo am back sorry for the hiatus was getting accustom to going back to college so i had to take a break but am back and hopefully so is the weekly uploads. Don't worry i have no intention of dropping this since i already have everything planned out all thats needed it to put pen to paper. but college is making me a bit busy i only have from wednseday to sunday to write and even then i have assignments doing to i can't write allot.
This was suppose to be three chapter but i decided to squeeze everything into one to progress the plot I don't want to be the kinda author who writes 10 chapters focuse on 1 day and the plot has not progress a single bit i believe each chapter should move the plot at least 1 step instead of dragging it out. However even so this chapter felt rushed to me idk why though maybe i am missing some details or something
Anyways hopefully starting from after the next few up coming chapters i start to write less and make the chapters more compact so i can increase my release schedule all i can confirm is 2-4K word chapters will come more often than these 5-8K word chapters
If you see any misspell word funky sentences or grammar issue point them out and i will fix them bye]