[A/N: IMPORTANT author's note at the end, please read. Also, this is a dialogue-heavy chapter. I will try my best to make the characters feel like actual people rather than mannequins who only speak. Anyway, onto the chapter.]
[5000 words yall not getting a chapter tomorrow and probably the day after]
******3 days later — April 29th******
"Okay, sign here and you are good to go."
Rikuo's new guardian, the monk who had saved him three days ago after his grandfather's death, signed the papers given to him by the nurse before handing them back.
During the process, the doctor standing beside the nurse continued explaining the situation.
"Make sure the boy does not strain himself. He is already going through so much. Losing his grandfather in front of him because of a murderer, suffering so many injuries... luckily, none of them were lethal, and he healed up quickly. Still, don't let him do anything too physically demanding, or the wounds could reopen."
The doctor paused before looking toward the young boy.
"With everything he has experienced, I would be surprised if he didn't have some level of trauma. You should consider getting him a therapist."
The doctor looked gently at the sad-looking boy who had spent the past three days under his care. Rikuo stood quietly, his head lowered as he held onto the hand of the monk beside him.
"I will make sure he adjusts over the next few days during Golden Week. With everything that has happened, I think it is understandable that he needs to be alone and have time to grieve."
"Yes. Now take care."
"You too."
As the two left the hospital, the staff waved goodbye to them.
Once they were a fair distance away from the hospital, the once-sad-looking boy who had been staring at the ground finally lifted his head. He then roughly pulled his hand away from the man's grip.
"We can stop pretending now that we are outside the hospital."
"Yeah, you're right. But we can never be too careful. Right now, I am your guardian. If we show that there is conflict between us, I might get reported to child services."
"Don't worry about that. I can act very well."
Sighing Rikuo looked up at the clear sky above him. As the two continued to walk to the Nura residence Rikuo stated his plan for the week
"Right now, I have two important things I need to do. Prepare for my gramps' funeral and gain enough mastery over my youki control so I can break my connection to that Osore no gu scroll."
Looking at the man—or rather, the youkai—standing beside him, Rikuo bowed his head slightly.
"So please teach me well."
It had only been three days since the incident at the Nura residence.
Three days of recovery.
Three days since he learned that the supernatural world he had spent years searching for actually existed.
But discovering that truth came at the cost of his grandfather's life.
Now his guardian was a man he had only just met, a youkai whose current goal was to help him break his connection with the scroll before he became the target of a group of ambitious youkai.
***************3 Days Ago*****************
The day after the incident at the Nura residence, Rikuo lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as the fan slowly spun above him.
'Last night was so surreal... I can't believe everything that happened. The supernatural actually exists, and gramps...'
Rikuo's thoughts suddenly stopped as he remembered his grandfather's final moments.
'Gramps died.'
Taking a deep breath, he turned his face toward the window.
'And somehow, I am a youkai. After so many years of trying to find the supernatural, dragging K into searching with me, and eventually giving up... I finally found it.'
His expression darkened.
'But I only found out because of this. Because gramps died.'
A small sigh escaped his mouth.
'It's true what they say. Everything in your life can change in a single moment.'
A second life for him.
Rikuo watched as birds flew across the sky, looking down at the city below.
The same city he had lived in for years.
Yet somehow, it felt different.
Like it was a familiar stranger wearing a disguise, hiding a secret world beneath the surface.
*Knock. Knock. Knock*
Without turning his head, Rikuo answered.
"Come in."
The hospital door slid open, revealing a man with long blue-black hair, blue eyes, and a business suit.
Turning around to see who entered, Rikuo immediately recognized him.
Although his clothing and hairstyle were different, he knew this was the man who had saved him the night before.
"Good evening"
"Good evening, I see you are doing well compared to how I found you yesterday."
"All thanks to you. If you hadn't stopped my bleeding in time, even if I had won, I think I would have died from blood loss."
Bowing his head, Rikuo sincerely thanked the man once again for saving his life.
"No need. Besides, it is partly my fault this situation happened in the first place, including the death of your grandfather."
The man waved his hand before taking a chair and placing it beside the bed.
"It's not truly your fault. It was simply bad luck, Mr—"
'I can't blame him. It's not like he gave me the scroll. And it's not like I can blame K either. He probably didn't even know what it was, and if he kept it, he probably would have died.'
'The only person I can blame is that youkai lord... Muchi.'
"Oh right, I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Kurotoba Toriumi. You can just call me Kurotoba."
[A/N: I don't want to write author's notes in the middle of the chapter since everyone just wants to read the fanfic, but I wanted to let you know that characters who originally don't have a last name will be given their voice actor's last name. However, I will mainly use the names we already know them by.]
Raising his hand, Rikuo looked Kurotoba directly in the eyes.
"It is a pleasure meeting you, Kurotoba. My name is Rikuo Nura. You can just call me Rikuo."
Gripping the hand extended toward him, Kurotoba shook it before releasing it. He then dragged a chair which was to the side and sat beside Rikuo's bed
"So how is Toma doing is she alright i help stop her bleeding but she was also poisoned too"
"Oh that nekomata they are alright. Toma is still resting at your house, luckily I came in time last night that nekomata really over did it while already injured"
" But am surprised, though. Most kids in your situation would be depressed. Having a loved one die in front of them and nearly being killed themselves... they probably wouldn't talk to anyone for days and yet you are worried for that cat."
Rikuo chuckled softly.
"I guess you could say I am mature for my age, but I don't think that's the reason why you came here to check on my condition, is it?"
Kurotoba's gentle expression changed into a serious one.
"No, it is not. Since you are now deeply involved in this situation, I wanted to explain everything to you since we will probably have to stick together for a while."
Now with all his attention, Rikuo waited for what Kurotoba would say next.
"Its all because of this."
Kurotoba reached into his sleeve and pulled out the scroll.
The moment Rikuo saw it, his expression became serious. It once looked ordinary scroll, but now he knew better now. This was the object that had dragged him into a supernatural world and the reason why his grandfather died.
"A few days ago, I arrived in this town and took up residence at the abandoned shrine on the outskirts. My mission when i came was simple: protect this scroll for a while."
Holding the scroll between his fingers, Kurotoba began spinning it quickly like a pen.
"However, it seems that a group of youkai knew I had it in my possession. They gathered together and attempted to kill me and take it for themself. During that battle, I lost the scroll and was poisoned by one of the youkai there."
Kurotoba lifted his shirt slightly, revealing the wound at the side of his hip.
A deep scar covered his body, with a strange green liquid seemingly flowing around and within the injury.
Rikuo instinctively flinched at the sight.
'Damn... that has to hurt.'
"So tell me, how did the scroll end up in your hands, and how did you become bonded with it?"
Kurotoba stopped spinning the scroll and pointed it toward Rikuo, his eyes carrying a questioning gaze.
Taking a deep breath, Rikuo began explaining everything that occurred over the past two days.
He told Kurotoba how Kiyotsugu found the scroll at the bottom of the shrine, how it was passed to him, and everything that happened during the attack at his home last night.
"However, I still don't know how I bonded with the scroll."
Shrugging his shoulders Rikuo still hand no idea how him bonding with the scroll happen.
"Yeah, a normal human wouldn't have been able to."
Kurotoba looked at Rikuo carefully.
"But you are not a normal human. You have a bit of youkai blood flowing through you, and your compatibility with the scroll seems high to be able to bond with it."
Kurotoba tossed the scroll toward Rikuo.
Rikuo caught it and stared nothing seemed to happen when he touched it no sparkling transformation or some whisper coming from it. It behaved the same way he got it nothing special
"That scroll is a special [Osore no gu]. An object used by youkai to channel their abilities through it to increase their strength."
"But what makes that scroll unique compared to other [Osore no gu] is that its original owner has already died, yet others are still able to use the first owner's ability through it."
Kurotoba looked at the scroll in Rikuo's hands.
"Its rare. For an Osore no gu to possess such a property, it requires compatible material capable of holding the ability and a powerful youkai who has continuously poured their power into it for years."
"Even then, the chances of finding one in the 'wild' are incredibly low. Whenever an ownerless Osore no gu with this capability appears, it is immediately taken by someone."
Listening carefully to Kurotoba's explanation, a question formed in Rikuo's mind.
"Yeah, but that still doesn't explain why it chose me. I didn't even awaken my youkai blood until halfway through the fight last night."
Kurotoba tilted his head slightly.
"Wait... are you saying the bond formed before that?"
"Yeah. I only found out I was a youkai last night."
"Hmm..."
Kurotoba crossed his arms, thinking for a moment.
"Tell me, have you experienced any nightmares or anything unusual happening to you since you received the scroll?"
Think over the pass few days since he got the scroll Rikuo remember 2 unusual events that did occur
"Not counting the attack... I have had two nightmares since getting the scroll that i can remember clearly."
Kurotoba's eyes widened slightly.
"Wow. You are really lucky."
"What does that mean?"
"Usually, when an [Osore no gu] remains near a normal human, it affects them various ways. It can cause nightmares, leave behind traces of miasma that attract malevolent youkai to them or cause them to have bad luck."
He looked directly at Rikuo.
"But you were already bonded with it, which probably means you were effected even more."
Rikuo looked down at the scroll.
"Worser?"
"Yeah"
Kurotoba nodded.
"There is always a price when using another youkai's [Osore no gu]. The cost varies depending on the object and the ability contained within it, but it is usually something negative."
"It could be wounds appearing on your body, losing your vision, nightmares, or other strange costs."
"Nightmares don't sound that bad compared to the others though."
"No its still bad."
Kurotoba's expression became serious.
"Because those nightmares are not ordinary dreams. For someone with a weak mind or is just weak, those nightmare can cause the death of the person who is experiencing them through dreams."
Rikuo felt a cold sweat run down his back as he heard what Kurotabo said but he did not stop there.
"Even if they survive, constant exposure can slowly break someone down and drive them insane."
"So that means..."
"Either you survived two or one nightmares that could have killed you, or you were simply lucky enough that the effects were not severe."
Kurotoba looked at Rikuo.
"Either way, you are fortunate."
'Maybe I should go to a gambling den with the amount of luck I have.'
Rikuo whipping the sweat that appeared on his face quickly dismissed the thought.
'No, the possibility of dying because of a nightmare is more important.'
"How do we break my bond with the scroll?"
Rikuo tightened his grip around the [Osore no gu].
"I don't want to risk dieing from a nightmare after I just survived being killed."
Bracing himself on the back of the chair Kurotabo responded
"You don't have to worry about those nightmares as long as you don't use the scroll. The price only applies when you just bond with it or draw upon its power otherwise it harmless."
Kurotoba paused.
"However, breaking the bond is still important."
His expression became more serious.
"Especially because that group of youkai, including that Lord Muchi we heard of, is searching for this scroll. If they discover you are bonded with it, they will come after you and kill you."
Raising his hand, Kurotoba held up three fingers.
"So we have three options. right now on what we can do"
"Option A..."
Kurotoba lowered one finger.
"I use the knowledge I have and forcibly break the bond right now. However, because this is not my specialty, there is a high chance it could damage your soul in the process."
'Nooo.'
Rikuo face darkened at what he heard and immediately rejected the idea.
'There is no way I am risking something like my soul.'
Seeing Rikuo's expression, Kurotoba continued.
"Option B."
He lowered another finger.
"We escape to the spirit realm and ask someone I know who specializes in this field to break the bond."
Rikuo remained silent as he considered the option.
'That sounds better, but what the cost this time.'
"However, that option also has its own problems."
He looked at the scroll.
"You remember when I told you that [Osore no gu] like this one are extremely rare and immediately taken whenever one appears?"
Rikuo nodded.
"If we enter the spirit realm with this, you will immediately become a target."
Kurotoba's eyes moved toward Rikuo.
"And didn't you say that last night was the first time you transformed? And if i did bring you there the way that both of us are currently are, me being poisoned and you who does not even having control over your youkai form. I will only be able to protect myself "
Kurotoba shook his head.
'So B is out as well.'
"Besides..."
Kurotabo remembered the attack on him that occurred 3 days ago now.
"The fact that those youkai knew I possessed the scroll means someone is leaking information about me."
"If I enter the spirit realm, there is a chance I could immediately be tracked down. That means I cannot even safely bring the scroll there myself."
'Then why even give me option B if it was never really an option?'
Rikuo kept the thought to himself but his face darken to another degree.
Kurotoba then lowered his third finger.
"That leaves option C."
"While I recover, I teach you how to break the bond yourself while I continue researching how to break it as well."
Rikuo looked at him and sighed.
"Tell me the cost."
"It could take a few months for me to learn how to properly break the bond."
Kurotoba thought for a moment.
"Three to four months, assuming nothing goes wrong."
'I will probably be dead before then, then.'
Rikuo lowered his gaze.
'Those youkai are already searching for the scroll. One found me within a day. The next one could find us the moment I leave the hospital.'
"But teaching you would probably take less time."
Kurotoba pointed toward the scroll.
"Since the bond belongs to you, understanding and breaking it should be easier than someone else trying to interfere with it."
"Maybe one to two months."
'One to two months is still too long.'
Rikuo clenched his fist.
'And if we stay in one place for that long, the possibility of those youkai finding us only increases.'
Suddenly a thought flash across his mind
'Why not just leave the city for a while we try breaking the bond currently they are trying to find the scroll in [town name] so if we leave then they will never find it unless someone snitch that we have it'
"Can we leave the city"
Kurotoba looked at him.
"They are searching for us here. If we leave for the time needed to break the bond, we wouldn't have to worry about being found as easily."
Rikuo paused.
"And while we are out of the city, we can try finding someone else capable of breaking the bond."
*Sigh*
"I considered that."
Kurotoba sighed.
"But I immediately rejected the idea."
He looked outside the hospital window at the city.
"Even though this city is dangerous, it is probably the safest place we can be right now."
"Huh how when there are youkais after both of us?"
"Because this city is a neutral zone."
Kurotabo explained calmly.
"There are no active onmyoji forces here, and the youkais do not seem interested in causing too much trouble. Not only that, but this territory does not belong to anyone."
"Why is that"
"Because this city has no resources that would attract the attention of any powerful groups."
Kurotoba's expression became serious.
"If we leave, we could end up entering the territory of a powerful youkai, an onmyoji family, or worst case..."
He paused.
"The territory of one of the Great Families."
Rikuo looked at him.
"The Great Families are worse than powerful youkai?"
"Yes."
Kurotoba pointed at Rikuo as he continue to speak.
"Especially in your case."
Rikuo listened carefully.
"I once heard of a member of one of the Great Families who fell in love with a tengu and had a child with him."
Kurotoba looked away.
"When the family discovered it, they killed both the woman and the half-blood child."
Kurotoba looked directly at him.
"Now imagine what they will do you. Even if you 99% human those guys are racist who only cares about that 1% youkai blood and will kill you the moment they find out you are a Hanyō"
[A/N: Might ret-con Hanyō in the future if i find a better word also hanyo means to have youkai blood]
'So we are practically stuck.'
Rikuo looked down.
'A city where we are safer than being outside of it, but where youkai are still hunting us down for the scroll.'
"So I guess option C is the only choice."
"Yeah."
The room became silent.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then another thought suddenly crossed Rikuo's mind.
"But wait. I can't stay in this city anymore."
Rikuo looked down.
"My grandfather is gone. I will have to stay with a relative, but I don't even know where one is , and the other one lives outside this prefecture."
"Oh, don't worry about that."
Kurotoba casually replied.
"Last night, when the ambulance arrived, I used youjutsu on them to make them believe I was your relative so we can stay in city at your home."
Rikuo stared at him.
"Now all that is left is to cast it on a few more people, and I can remain your guardian for the time we stay together."
'I don't know whether I should be relieved or concerned.'
Rikuo looked at Kurotoba carefully.
'He can manipulate people's minds without them noticing. What if he did that to me?'
"I appreciate what you are trying to do for me..."
Rikuo hesitated with a bit of suspicion.
"But why are you trying so hard to help?"
Kurotoba's expression softened.
"I am a youkai born from the cries for help of children."
"So when I see a child who needs help, I find it difficult to ignore them."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"In fact, if you had not shouted for help last night, I would not have even known you were in danger."
'oh so that how he found us but am actually 33 years old so does it only apply the to physical age of someone'
Getting up from the chair Kurotabo took the scroll from Rikuo's hand
"Well then I will be heading off i have a few more people i need to convince that am your relative in that time i will keep the scroll secured and i will come back tomorrow "
"Alright then take care also tell Toma i said thank for protecting me last night"
"I will, heal up well"
Saying his goodbyes Kurotabo left the room leaving Rikuo alone and with his thoughts
'i need to learn how to break this bond quickly'
******************************
And so 3 days passed and Rikuo and Kurtabo was now walking back to the Nura residence.
"Oh one thing i can't cook so you will have to deal with the food in the house"
"Then don't worry the least i can do for living in your home instead of that abandon shrine is cook for you"
The two keep on walk but in another section of the city a gathering of youkai was occurring
********************************
Youkai of all kinds, differing in appearance and race, sat within the room. Their terrifying auras intertwined, blanketing the hall in an overwhelming pressure. If an ordinary human were to step inside, whether young or old, they would likely suffer a heart attack before even understanding what they were looking at.
The silence was deafening.
The youkai sat upon cushions laid across the tatami floor, with a few vacant seats scattered among them as if some members had yet to arrive. It was only when the figure seated at the head of the room spoke that the silence was finally broken.
Unlike everyone else present, he looked almost completely human.
He appeared to be a teenager with short black hair, light brown eyes, and the uniform of a high school student. Yet despite his youthful appearance, every youkai in the room listened attentively the moment he opened his mouth.
"Muchi, have you heard back from your underling about the person who might have a connection to the scroll?"
The youkai named Muchi sat at the far end of the row to the young man's right. He possessed long dark green hair, matching eyes, and a towering build that was imposing even while seated. Dressed like a mafia boss, he wore a black fedora, circular glasses, a black suit, and a white muffler wrapped around his neck.
As he answered, a sickening grin spread across his face.
"No. I haven't heard from Hachihei for the past three days. I believe he actually found someone who knew where the scroll was... and was killed because of it."
"I see."
A chuckle echoed through the room.
"Your underlings are as weak as ever. They really do resemble their leader, don't they? Hahaha."
The one mocking Muchi sat at the opposite end of the room.
Unlike the others, his head resembled that of a rooster, while the rest of his body remained mostly humanoid. A loose kimono hung from his shoulders, leaving the feathers covering his chest exposed.
"Shut up, you overgrown chicken, or I'll feed you to the rats living in the red-light district. I heard they only eat women, but I'm sure they'd make an exception for you."
"Muchi, your provocations are as weak as you are."
Takeda folded his arms with a scoff.
"Besides, this is the second time you've had the opportunity to obtain the scroll and failed."
"If your underling truly found someone who knew where it could be, why didn't you investigate personally?"
"Now your subordinate is dead, and we don't even know who he was talking about."
"Damn you, Takeda! I—"
"But what he said is true, Muchi."
The one who interrupted them sat beside Takeda.
She possessed long black hair, pale skin, violet eyes, and wore a light yellow kimono. Although her voice was calm, every word she spoke carried a sharp edge.
"You failed to deal the killing blow to the Assassin Monk of Destruction."
[A/N: Kurotoba's title is technically 'The Assassin and Destruction Monk,' but I think this sounds much cooler.]
"You lost the scroll."
She calmly raised another finger.
"And after receiving information about someone who might know where it is, you still chose to leave it to your underling."
"Now that underling is dead."
"We aren't even at our full strength yet. A few of our members haven't even arrived, yet you're already losing men."
Muchi clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
"Ai, I do have some information."
He forced the words through gritted teeth.
"The person my underling was tracking was a young boy with brown hair who carried the miasma of an [Osore no gu]."
"That still isn't enough."
The woman shook her head.
"Do you know how many young boys live in this city? Searching through every single one would take months."
She paused.
"Fortunately..."
Another voice interrupted.
"...I'm here. So we don't need to relay on you deeply"
The youkai seated directly beside Muchi finally spoke.
He possessed the smallest frame in the room. Bald-headed and dressed in dark monk's robes, he almost resembled a Buddhist monk.
Almost.
Gold necklaces, jeweled bracelets, and precious gems decorated his body, while his face betrayed his true nature. Bestial features twisted across his skin, and a long serpentine tongue slowly slid across his lips.
"With my abilities, finding the scroll won't take long."
Muchi shot him a glare.
"Ryūzaburō... are you calling me incompetent?"
"I am not calling you anything."
Ryūzaburō's smile widened.
"I am simply stating what everyone else in this room can already see."
"All of you are basta—"
"Silence!"
The room shook.
The overwhelming aura that had been leaking from every youkai instantly disappeared beneath an even greater pressure released by the young man seated at the head.
His gaze settled upon Muchi.
"It is true."
His voice remained calm.
"You have failed not once... not twice... but three times."
"Ordinarily, I would have stripped you of this mission and imprisoned you."
His eyes narrowed.
"But because we currently lack manpower, I am willing to give you one final opportunity."
Muchi lowered his head as cold sweat rolled down his face.
"My lord..."
"You are to destroy the Tsujitani Clan."
The room fell silent once more.
"A clan of Hihi."
"And you are to personally kill their leader, Kōji Tsujitani."
The young man's gaze never left Muchi.
"If you survive..."
"...all of your previous failures will be forgiven."
Muchi immediately bowed until his forehead nearly touched the tatami.
"Yes, my lord."
"You have until the end of next month."
"You may leave."
Knowing he had been dismissed, Muchi immediately stood and left the room. Waiting outside were several of his underlings, who silently followed behind him.
The young man then shifted his attention toward another seat.
"Ryūzaburō."
"You will now oversee the search for the scroll."
"With your abilities, I expect results."
Ryūzaburō rose to his feet.
"It will be done, my lord."
The moment he stepped beyond the doorway, his body dissolved into the wind itself, vanishing without a trace.
Only three figures remained inside.
"The meeting is adjourned."
"You two may leave as well."
""Yes, my lord.""
The remaining pair bowed before quietly exiting, leaving only the young man seated at the head.
A few seconds later...
A shadow beneath him rippled.
A masked figure slowly emerged from the darkness, kneeling respectfully.
"My lord."
"Do you truly think it is wise to entrust the search to Ryūzaburō?"
"Muchi may be incompetent, but his loyalty is genuine."
"Ryūzaburō, on the other hand, is loyal only to his own greed and whatever rewards we can offer him."
The young man simply smiled.
"It's fine."
"I know exactly what kind of person he is."
"And because of that..."
"...it's easy to predict what he'll do next."
Standing from his cushion, the teenager stretched lazily before letting out a yawn.
"I recently found a puppy near my school."
His smile became colder.
"Sadly..."
"...its owners have been abusing and neglecting it."
"Then, Young Lord..."
The shadow figure lowered his head.
"Why not simply rescue it?"
"Oh, I will."
The young man stopped at the doorway.
"But first..."
His grin widened.
"...I'm going to teach the puppy how to bite back."
For a brief moment, silence filled the room once more.
"I want you to continue watching the Kurohane Clan."
He looked toward the night outside.
"Out of every clan in this city, they concern me the most."
"Even though they are far from their natural habitat..."
"...they are still capable of interfering with our plans."
"I understand, my lord."
"I'll be going."
The shadow beneath the kneeling figure swallowed him whole, as though he had never existed.
The room became deathly quiet.
The young man stood there for a few more seconds before walking out himself.
After all...
There was a puppy waiting to be taught how to bite its owner.
[A/N: (the important note) i was not able to write this since i did not want the topic to continue on forever but there are a few detail i left out about Orose no gu the price one pays for using it can be minimize by being the same race as the original owner, sacrifices, paying the price early and other means that will be explain in arc 3
I was planning to upload this chapter last night after just finish editing it but i realize that it was 2:00 am and the traffic on webnovel was low so if i did upload only like 400 would click on this ff after seeing it update so i waited until mourning
anyways since this was 5000 word chapter don't expect a new chapter tomorrow if you see any grammatical error or issues in the chap tell me so i can fix it anyways peace]