"That will be 1005 yen. Thank you for your purchase."
"Ding-dong~"
Carrying the groceries he had bought, Nakano Yu walked out of the store.
"That Ichika, she's probably plotting something again, she's really happy."
Feeling Ichika's state through the Wing Contract, Nakano Yu muttered to himself.
Although the Wing Contract did not allow the contractor and the contracted to hear each other's thoughts, Nakano Yu could still know some basic information, such as the current state of the person under contract.
After putting all the groceries into his system space, Nakano Yu suddenly remembered again the monster that devours people.
When the so-called "Miss Abyss" appeared, the system did not react at all. Could it be that Miss Abyss was actually a yokai? Or had the world undergone some changes he did not know about?
As Nakano Yu was thinking, two waves of yokai energy suddenly entered the range of his senses.
"Hm? Yokai?"
Casting a glance in the direction of those two energies, Nakano Yu slightly frowned. He smelled blood, so it seemed they were fighting.
"Interesting. Let's go take a look."
Nakano Yu thought that, and his figure flickered, disappearing into the moonlight.
In Ukiyoe Town, among tall buildings, between skyscrapers, a powerful icy aura suddenly erupted.
"Klang, klang, klang!"
With three clear sounds, several black feathers struck the billboard at the top of a building, piercing through the thick panel.
And on that billboard, a girl in a blue-white kimono held an Ice Blade and coldly observed the dark corner of the rooftop.
That girl was none other than Oikawa Tsurara, who was hurrying back to Nakano Yu.
"Yosuzume, surrender obediently and come with me. Tamazuki-sama will not treat you unfairly."
In the corner of the rooftop, the air distorted for a moment, and then from it stepped out a girl in ninja attire, her cheeks wrapped in bandages inscribed with runes and with a single tail.
The girl was called Yosuzume, a member of Tamazuki's "Seven Companions," as well as one of the cadres of the Shikoku Youkai Eighty-Eight Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
"Hmph, just a bunch of minor yokai from a fallen land, and you think you can capture me? Sakura Blizzard!"
Facing Yosuzume, Tsurara snorted disdainfully. After that, she suddenly exhaled an icy wave, attacking Yosuzume.
Seeing this, two enormous black wings appeared behind Yosuzume. The wings folded and blocked in front of her, completely stopping the icy wave.
"If that's all you have, then you'd better obediently come with me!"
Seeing that the Yuki-onna's attack had not even grazed her, Yosuzume became careless for a moment. She withdrew her wings, intending to persuade Tsurara to go with her, but as soon as she moved them aside, she saw Tsurara raise the Ice Blade and stab it toward her.
Faced with this sudden attack, Yosuzume narrowed her eyes. Her figure flickered and instantly appeared behind Tsurara. Then she kicked hard, striking Tsurara in the back and directly knocking her to the ground.
"Cough, cough!"
"This girl's reaction is so fast, even a sneak attack doesn't work?"
Leaning on the Ice Blade, Tsurara coughed softly twice and looked at the seemingly relaxed Yosuzume, thinking.
The difference in strength between the two of them was too obvious. With her current yokai power, Tsurara could not deal with Yosuzume.
"Will Nakano-sama notice the situation here?"
With flickering eyes, Tsurara looked in the direction of Nakano Yu and thought.
She could only hope that Nakano Yu would discover what was happening. Recently, the entire Nura Group had been on high alert, and all the yokai were in fear because of the Shikoku Youkai Eighty-Eight Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
And Nurarihyon, the First Commander of the Nura Group, had suddenly disappeared, while the Third Commander was a weakling who still did not accept the fact that he had yokai blood. That had already disappointed many yokai of the Nura Group, including Tsurara.
"Nakano-sama, you must come."
Clenching the Ice Blade tightly, Tsurara prayed inwardly. Immediately afterward, her yokai power erupted, and a wave of cold rose toward the sky. With Tsurara as the center, layers of ice began to spread.
"Oh? Trying to restrict my movement?"
Realizing Tsurara's intention, Yosuzume remained disdainful. She was Yosuzume, representative of darkness, a yokai who deprives sight with extreme speed. How could such a trick restrain her?
Snorting, Yosuzume waved her hand and sent a shower of black feather-daggers that directly pierced Tsurara's shoulder. Blood flowed, immediately soaking her ice-blue kimono.
"Ugh!"
Heavily struck, Tsurara was clearly in pain. She groaned, then forcibly pulled the black feather-dagger out of her shoulder.
"Sleep."
Murmured Yosuzume, and her figure suddenly vanished. When she reappeared, she was hanging upside down in front of Tsurara.
In an instant, runes surged around Yosuzume. Her golden eyes met Tsurara's, and Tsurara, as if enchanted, stared into them.
As they looked at each other, Tsurara's eyes began to fill with black mist. At that moment, a light, slightly mocking voice sounded:
"Who do we have here? Oh, Kyoto yokai."
Hearing the voice, Yosuzume trembled, broke the spell, and kept her distance between herself, Tsurara, and the suddenly appeared young man.
"Who are you? How do you know my identity?!"
Looking at Nakano Yu, Yosuzume was full of vigilance.
She heard clearly, this human youth had exposed her true identity — Kyoto yokai!
That's right, Yosuzume was not a true Shikoku yokai, but a Kyoto yokai, and a cadre loyal to the Great Kyoto yokai, Sanmoto Gorōzaemon.
The reason she joined Tamazuki's "Seven Companions" under the pretense of being a Shikoku yokai was to control that foolish Tamazuki and use his and the Shikoku yokai blood and yokai power to activate the Demon Lord's Mallet.
But that matter was an absolute secret even among the Kyoto yokai. How did this guy know?!
Frowning, Yosuzume was certain she had not revealed anything, nor mentioned Kyoto.
After confirming that the problem was not on her side, Yosuzume took a deep breath. Although she did not know how this man knew, since he knew, she absolutely could not let him remain alive!
"Yo, Tsurara."
However, Nakano Yu paid no attention to Yosuzume at all. Instead, he waved for Tsurara to come over.
At that moment, upon seeing Nakano Yu, Tsurara seemed to have grasped a lifeline and quickly approached.
"Are you alright?"
Watching the black mist in Tsurara's eyes recede, Nakano Yu asked.
"Mm, her yokai art is very strange, I almost completely lost my sight."
Tsurara hid behind the young man, nodded and said.
"Mm, I know."
Nakano Yu nodded, as if he had been aware all along.
"You there, human, if I'm not mistaken, you're an Onmyoji from Kyoto, aren't you?"
Although dissatisfied with being ignored, Yosuzume cautiously probed.
"You're wrong, I'm a God Slayer."
Nakano Yu glanced at Yosuzume, waved his hand, and suddenly moonlight shone in front of him. Immediately afterward, Moon God Envoy, clad in armor and holding a long blade, appeared on the rooftop.
"What is that? A Shikigami? I've never seen such a Shikigami…"
Yosuzume frowned, looking at Moon God Envoy, and immediately assumed it was Nakano Yu's Shikigami.
Whether it's a Shikigami or not, I must attack first!
Thinking that, Yosuzume flickered, and in a shower of black feathers appeared in front of Moon God Envoy. She fiercely hurled a black feather-dagger toward his heart.
However, the scene that followed completely shook her demonic existence.
The black feather-dagger, saturated with demonic energy, produced a "clang" sound the moment it touched Moon God Envoy, and then completely shattered before her unbelievable gaze.
"How is that possible?!"
Looking at the broken dagger, Yosuzume was in disbelief, but Moon God Envoy did not give her a chance to react. Swinging his arm, his armored forearm struck her body heavily.
"Bam!"
After a dull impact, Yosuzume was sent flying and crashed hard into the edge of the rooftop.
"Wah!"
From a single strike of Moon God Envoy, Yosuzume immediately spat out blood. Struggling to stand, she leaned against the wall and looked at Moon God Envoy, and fear now filled her eyes.
She felt it, the terrifying power she could not resist and the impenetrable defense.
After a deep look at Moon God Envoy, Yosuzume glanced at Nakano Yu, who was at the side bandaging Tsurara's wounds, and a bold idea appeared in her mind.
"Forget it, to catch a bandit, first catch the king!"
Thinking that, Yosuzume gathered her courage, and her figure vanished.
On Nakano Yu's side, after bandaging Tsurara's wounds, he pulled down her lowered sleeve.
The medical kit rewarded by the system was originally meant for the case that the Quintuplets were injured, but he did not expect Tsurara to be the first to use it.
"T-thank you, Nakano-sama…"
At that moment, Tsurara's face was red, and cold air flowed from her body, white vapor visible.
"You're welcome, be more careful next time."
Nakano Yu casually patted her head. After that, he turned to see whether Moon God Envoy had defeated Yosuzume, but as soon as he turned, a black feather slowly fell before his eyes.
"Nakano-sama! Watch out!"
Seeing the black feather, Tsurara's eyes narrowed. She tried to stand and protect him, but it was too late.
As numerous black feathers floated in the air, Yosuzume appeared upside down in front of Nakano Yu.
His purple eyes, like a dazzling galaxy, met Yosuzume's demonic eyes, filled with the power of darkness. In his eyes there was curiosity and disdain, but not a trace of fear.
Seeing him like that, Yosuzume was confused. Why did this guy not show even the slightest fear before her demonic eyes?
Did he not know that her demonic eyes could deprive sight and light?
At the moment she was thinking, an aura poured out from Nakano Yu's eyes that made her heart tremble and filled her with terror. For a moment she felt every hair on her body stand on end.
Without hesitation, Yosuzume flipped in the air, and then, under Nakano Yu's curious gaze and Tsurara's disbelieving eyes, she forcefully landed:
"Thud!"
With a clear sound, Yosuzume directly knelt before the young man. Before anyone could react, she spoke her oath:
"Yokai Yosuzume, I swear to follow you, Master, through generations! Even as your slave!"