Kyoto.
Underground palace.
Hagoromo Gitsune sat upon the high platform, her twelve-layered robe layered so opulently it was almost blinding.
Before her, Kidōmaru knelt on one knee.
Kyoto and Musashi Province were over a thousand miles apart. Yet, as a powerful demon specializing in speed, Kidōmaru could traverse the distance in a very short time.
This was why Hagoromo Gitsune had entrusted him with this mission.
But now, compared to when he had departed, Kidōmaru's condition was clearly not good.
He had only one arm left.
He had lost an arm.
For a demon, such an injury was naturally not very serious. Given time, he could regrow it.
But the meaning behind it was what truly gave one pause.
"You… have failed?" Hagoromo Gitsune's voice was soft, her emotion unreadable.
"Yes." Kidōmaru kept his head lowered, his voice hoarse. "That shrine maiden's arrow… was stronger than I anticipated."
"And that demon warrior."
"He used a method I have never seen before, making the entire land stand on his side. Though it only provided him with an inexhaustible supply of demonic aura, it was indeed troublesome for me."
"The land?" A hint of fluctuation finally entered Hagoromo Gitsune's voice. "A mere lesser demon, able to possess such ability?"
"Interesting."
Other figures stood in the hall.
Other demons under Hagoromo Gitsune's command.
A hunched old woman, a ferocious-faced evil demon, several shadows hidden in the darkness.
Now, they were all looking at Kidōmaru.
With gloating in their eyes.
The once-invincible Kidōmaru, one of the great demons of Mount Ōe, returned from the underworld had finally met his match?
"Sister Hagoromo." A slightly childish female voice came from the shadows. "Shall I go deal with those two juniors?"
"No need." Hagoromo Gitsune raised her hand to stop her. "If Kidōmaru has already failed, then the result would be the same for you, Kyōkotsu."
Her gaze fell on Kidōmaru.
"That demon warrior… to make the land recognize him shows his methods are indeed extraordinary."
"Add to that the shrine maiden whose spiritual power is so strong even Kyoto can clearly sense it… It seems we need to take them somewhat seriously."
Either do not act, or act with certainty.
She paused.
"I have a suitable candidate in mind."
Kidōmaru looked up.
"My lord, you mean…"
"Tsuchigumo." Hagoromo Gitsune spoke the name.
The atmosphere in the hall abruptly changed.
The gloating smiles on the other demons' faces froze.
Tsuchigumo.
A demon race with many members.
But many did not mean all were weak, nor that there were no strong ones among them.
The core lineage of Tsuchigumo was said to be a demonic group that had existed since ancient times. With spiders as their true forms, they excelled at weaving webs, spinning cocoons, and manipulating fear and illusion.
And the most exceptional among them surpassed ordinary demons.
They were true great demons.
Not an infinitely close existence like Kidōmaru, but genuine great demons.
"Tsuchigumo… has revived?" A trembling voice came from the shadows.
"Three days ago." Hagoromo Gitsune nodded. "He slept in the deep mountains north of Kyoto for two hundred years. Now he has finally awakened."
"Perfectly" She looked at Kidōmaru, the corner of her mouth curling into a meaningful smile. "Kidōmaru, go invite him to come out of retirement."
"Tell him I have a matter I wish to ask of him."
Kidōmaru's body stiffened.
Go invite Tsuchigumo? That ill-tempered, bloodthirsty monster?
In normal times, he would have no particular fear or concern. But now, missing an arm, if he got entangled…
"My lord…"
"What?" Hagoromo Kitsune's tone remained calm. "Are you afraid?"
Kidōmaru gritted his teeth, about to respond…
"This matter is indeed inconvenient for Lord Kidōmaru. Allow me to go instead."
A figure slowly stepped out from behind Kidōmaru. His face was pale, with an inhuman handsomeness. "I am Muzan Kibutsuji."
"Though I am merely a lesser demon under Lord Kidōmaru, I happen to be relatively skilled with words."
"Please grant me one month's time."
The progenitor of demons bowed and scraped, his body exuding an aura that seemed to merge with the surrounding demons.
Hagoromo gitsune's eyes narrowed slightly. For some reason, she smiled.
Meanwhile.
Tōkaidō.
Inside a dilapidated shrine somewhere on the Tōkaidō road.
Nurarihyon sat cross-legged on the shrine's roof, a pipe in his hand, leisurely puffing smoke.
Beside him crouched a small figure.
A tiny demon only a foot tall, woven from straw, wearing a tattered kimono. On its head was a fermented nattō box, emanating an indescribable odor.
The little demon Nattō Kozō.
This was Nurarihyon's first follower.
Though very weak and small, it possessed a unique information network.
"Boss, have you heard?" Nattō Kozō's voice was shrill. "Big trouble in Musashi Province!"
"Oh?" Nurarihyon blew out a smoke ring. "What happened?"
"That Shinji! The demon warrior you mentioned!" Nattō Kozō waved its arms excitedly. "He killed four high-tier demon leaders in one night! And he drove off a demon that came from Kyoto supposedly one of the great demons of Mount Ōe who disappeared centuries ago, Kidōmaru!"
Nurarihyon's movement paused.
"One of the great demons of Mount Ōe, Kidōmaru?"
"Yes!" Nattō Kozō nodded like a pecking chicken. "I heard that shrine maiden also shot off one of Kidōmaru's arms!"
"The whole Kantō region is talking about it, calling him 'the demon who cut the thunder,' 'the Asura of the Pure Land,' 'the demon god'—"
"All kinds of titles!"
Nurarihyon fell silent.
He put away his pipe, looking toward the western sky.
In the direction of Musashi Province.
"Interesting," he murmured.
"That guy… is more interesting than I thought."
He stood, his golden hair swaying in the wind, tracing a scythe-like shape.
"Looks like I need to speed up too."
"Otherwise...."
"I won't be qualified to recruit him."
Elsewhere.
West of Musashi Province, near the direction of Kyoto, a tall pagoda stood within a shrine courtyard.
Tahōtō.
This was Tsubaki's home temple.
It was said that beneath this pagoda, a very powerful and strange demon was sealed.
Now.
In the rear hall of the shrine, Tsubaki knelt on the tatami.
Before her sat two young shrine maidens.
The one on the left was about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in white and red like Tsubaki. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail at the back of her head. Her features were delicate, her expression seemingly indifferent, but her eyes held innocence.
Her name was Kōyō.
The one on the right was younger, only twelve or thirteen, also in shrine maiden attire. Her round face still had baby fat, and her large eyes were full of admiration.
Her name was Botan.
Both were Tsubaki's junior disciples, the youngest students at this shrine.
"Sister, you came back. Did something happen?" Kōyō spoke first, her voice concerned.
"Yeah, yeah!" Botan leaned in too. "Master said you went to exorcise demons. Why are you back so soon?"
Tsubaki lowered her head, her expression showing pain.
She played it well.
"I…" Her voice trembled slightly. "I encountered a very frightening enemy."
"Enemy?" Kōyō and Botan exchanged surprised glances.
In their impression, their senior sister was second only to their master in strength.
How frightening must an enemy be to make her afraid?
"It's a shrine maiden named Kikyō." Tsubaki bit her lip, as if recalling something terrible.
"Kikyō?" Kōyō frowned. "I think I've heard that name… a shrine maiden from Musashi Province?"
"Yes." Tsubaki nodded, a flash of cruelty in her eyes but in front of her juniors, she quickly put on the victim's expression again.
"She… she is a fallen shrine maiden."
"Fallen?" Botan's eyes widened. "Shrine maidens can fall too?"
"Yes." Tsubaki's voice grew low.
"She has that evil object called the Shikon Jewel. It can grant any wish, but it also corrodes the heart."
"Kikyō has been corrupted by that jewel. She is no longer a normal shrine maiden."
Kōyō and Botan listened, captivated.
They were young, inexperienced. They couldn't tell truth from fiction in Tsubaki's words.
"Not only that…" Tsubaki continued weaving her lies. "She also tamed a vicious demon as her familiar."
"That demon is named Nakai Shinji. He can grow bone spurs all over his body and kills without blinking."
"When I went there, I saw with my own eyes…" She paused, putting on an expression as if unwilling to recall. "He killed many people."
"He slaughtered an entire village."
"And Kikyō just stood by and watched. Did nothing."
"This.." Kōyō's expression shifted. "How could there be such a shrine maiden!"
"Exactly!" Botan clenched her fists. "Aren't shrine maidens supposed to protect humans and drive away demons? How can she kill people together with a demon!"
Tsubaki sneered inwardly.
These two little girls were indeed easy to fool.
"So…" She looked up, her eyes shining with "righteous indignation." "I want to ask you both to help me."
"Help you?" Kōyō was taken aback. "Senior Sister, what do you want us to do?"
"I want to defeat Kikyō." Tsubaki's voice grew firm.
"But my strength alone is not enough. I need your help."
"Kōyō, you excel at barrier techniques. You can seal that demon's movements."
"Botan, your shikigami arts are still immature, but they should be enough to distract the enemy."
"If the three of us work together"
"We can surely bring that fallen shrine maiden to justice!"
Kōyō and Botan exchanged glances.
In their eyes, the flames of justice ignited.
"Alright!" Kōyō stood up first. "Sister, I'll help you!"
"Me too!" Botan jumped up. "We can't let evil people go free!"
The corner of Tsubaki's mouth curled into a barely perceptible arc.
"Thank you." She stood and patted both their shoulders.
"Then we set out tomorrow."
"To Musashi Province."
"To find that Kikyō."
Her eyes hid a sinister intent.
Of course, she hadn't told her junior sisters her true purpose.
She didn't want Kikyō.
She wanted Shinji.
By creating chaos during the battle and snatching that demon… Ah, and those demons she encountered before, they could also be used…
Tsubaki already had a plan.
As for her juniors' safety?
She didn't care.
As long as she could obtain that demon, what did it matter to sacrifice a few juniors?