The mountain path wound on. The three of them walked for about an hour.
Yes, three of 'them' not just Shinji and Kikyō, but even Nurarihyon, who'd come specifically to watch the show, hadn't left.
The hills on either side rolled gently, not tall, but they cut the otherwise flat plains into patchwork blocks, the midday sunlight filtering through in broken patterns.
Tree shadows swayed on both sides.
On the path between them,
Shinji glanced back the way they'd come.
No pursuers. No war cries.
Not even a speck of dust.
Looked like those samurai in the castle really had been scared shitless.
"Don't worry," Nurarihyon's voice came from ahead. "The dregs left in that castle? Give them ten times the courage and they still wouldn't dare chase us."
"You're so sure?"
"I've been around in this era for a few years now. I can see through people at a glance." Nurarihyon shrugged, his golden hair catching the sunlight. "Those private soldiers Suda Shigenobu kept? Fine for bullying peasants. But when they meet a real threat? They run faster than rabbits."
"Besides, their master's dead. Right now, they're probably too busy looting the storehouses to come after you."
Shinji didn't respond.
He watched the casually strolling figure ahead, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Kikyō also turned to glance at Nurarihyon.
Her expression was calm, but Shinji could sense she was on guard too.
"Speaking of which," Shinji finally spoke, "you've been following us for a full day and night now."
"Watching when we killed the toad. Watching when we entered the castle. Now we're leaving, and you're still following."
"Your goal isn't just watching, is it?"
"What do you really want?"
Nurarihyon stopped walking.
He turned around, a smile on his young face.
His golden vertical pupils gleamed in the sunlight.
"Found me out, huh?" Not a trace of embarrassment at being caught. If anything, he seemed perfectly at ease. "I was hoping to watch the show a few more days."
"Talk." Shinji's hand rested on his sword hilt, his gaze sharp. "What's your real goal?"
Just because this guy was a character from some original story he knew didn't mean he'd let his guard down.
As a fellow yokai, he knew: none of them were 'good people.'
Seeing Shinji's reaction,
Kikyō didn't hesitate either. She plucked her bowstring!
The easy smile on Nurarihyon's face stiffened slightly. He gave a dry laugh.
He dropped the playfulness and cleared his throat.
"Shinji, right?" he asked.
"I've never heard of a demon warrior by your name before. But I can feel it, you haven't been a demon long. Definitely less than a year."
"And in just one year, you're already approaching high-tier demon. The purity of your demonic aura and ghostly energy is ridiculously high."
"So my goal is actually simple, I've taken an interest in your potential, Shinji!"
"Join my ranks!"
Nurarihyon stated it bluntly.
"What?" Shinji blinked, caught off guard.
"I said, I want to recruit you." Nurarihyon blew a smoke ring, the haze forming a hazy circle in the air.
"I formally invite you here and now. Join my ranks. Join my 'Hyakki Yakō'."
Hyakki Yakō.
A mass movement of yokai, centered around a single, most powerful one of them.
Sometimes spontaneous, drawn together by a strong demonic aura.
Sometimes organized beforehand, a group that already exists as a unit.
Nurarihyon clearly meant the latter.
But.
Shinji looked at Nurarihyon.
Then at the empty space behind Nurarihyon, completely empty of anyone.
"Your Hyakki Yakō?" Shinji's tone was openly skeptical.
"Yes." Nurarihyon nodded, perfectly matter-of-fact.
"Hyakki… Yakō… Formation…" Shinji repeated, incredulous.
"Yes." Nurarihyon remained perfectly composed.
Shinji was silent for two seconds.
Then he pointed at the empty mountain path behind Nurarihyon. "Just you?"
"…Currently, yes." Nurarihyon coughed, but showed no embarrassment. "But there will be many more later!"
He added quickly.
"My goal is to gather all the powerful demons in the land and build a true Hyakki Yakō!"
"When that day comes, every demon will be under my command! Every specter will answer my call!"
"I will be the strongest, the greatest, the Master of All Yokai!"
He declared it with fervor, his golden hair swaying in the wind.
Shinji just found it a little amusing.
Master of All Yokai?
He knew this guy would eventually become a famous figure.
Nurarihyon, the founder of the Nura Clan.
But that was at least a few decades away.
Right now, he was just a leader with no followers.
Not even one underling.
"So you followed us for a full day and night just to recruit me?" Shinji asked.
"Yes!" Nurarihyon nodded.
"You're strong. Your abilities are special. But most importantly..." His eyes lit up. "You dare to kill humans."
"A yokai who dares to raise his hand against human authority? That's rare in this chaotic age."
"Most demons either hide in dark corners or just bully defenseless peasants."
"Someone like you, who openly chops off a lord's head and hangs it at the gate"
"I admire that."
Shinji looked at him.
The guy sounded sincere enough.
"And," Nurarihyon's gaze shifted to Kikyō. "If that shrine maiden lady is willing, she can join too."
Kikyō frowned.
"I'm a human," she said. "Not a demon."
"So what?" Nurarihyon shrugged. "Hyakki Yakō, it never said only demons can join."
"As long as you're strong enough, humans are welcome too."
"My goal is to build an unbeatable team. Human or demon, I don't care!"
Kikyō: "…"
Shinji: "…"
This guy's thought process was certainly unique.
"And besides," Nurarihyon suddenly stepped forward and threw an arm around Shinji's shoulder. "Brother, we're both of the yokai race!"
"What?"
"I'm a Nurarihyon. You're a demon warrior. That's fate!" Nurarihyon's face shone with enthusiasm. "If we two brothers join forces, what task could possibly be beyond us?"
"Every yokai in the land, under our control!"
"Every specter and monster, bowing at our feet!"
"What a magnificent undertaking!"
He spoke with such fervor, spraying spittle, that Shinji was momentarily at a loss for words.
This guy…
Was he serious?
Shinji looked at Nurarihyon's face.
Those golden vertical pupils were filled with anticipation.
Like an entrepreneur pitching his startup.
Even if that startup currently consisted of just him.
"Ahem." Shinji cleared his throat and removed the arm from his shoulder.
"What you're describing…"
"Promising, right?" Nurarihyon's eyes gleamed even brighter.
"No." Shinji shook his head.
"What I mean is," He paused. "I'm not interested."
Nurarihyon's smile froze.
"What?"
"I said, I'm not interested." Shinji repeated himself. "Your Hyakki Yakō? You go ahead and play with it yourself."
Nurarihyon's expression soured, like he'd swallowed a fly. "Why?"
"No why." Shinji was blunt. "I have my own things to do. No time for your Hyakki Yakō scheme."
"And..." He glanced at the empty path behind Nurarihyon. "A Hyakki Yakō with just you? Sounds pretty sketchy."
Nurarihyon: "…"
That was harsh.