The university street was unusually quiet.
Maru stood near the gate with her arms crossed.
"That idiot…"
Daichi looked at her.
"You mean Rishiro again?"
"Who else?"
Maru sighed.
"He hasn't shown up to class in months."
Daichi nodded.
"Yeah… three months, right?"
Maru looked away toward the road.
"…And he won't even reply to messages."
Beside them, Hikari adjusted her glasses nervously.
"So this is the writer you two keep talking about?"
Daichi chuckled.
"Yeah. Quiet guy. Always writing something."
Maru shook her head.
"Quiet is one thing. Disappearing is another."
Hikari hesitated.
"…Can I come with you?"
Maru raised an eyebrow.
"To meet him."
Daichi shrugged.
"Sure."
Maru sighed.
"Fine."
"Let's go drag that idiot out of his apartment."
They started walking.
Then suddenly—
The sky flickered.
Everyone on the street stopped.
A strange light spread across the clouds.
A massive message appeared across the sky.
A cold mechanical voice echoed throughout the city.
INFLUENCE EVENT ACTIVATED
Region: Japan
Yokai Domain Initiated
Event: Hyakki Yagyō (Night parade of one hundred demons)
Objective: Survive the Night
For a moment the entire street went silent.
Then panic exploded everywhere.
People screamed.
Cars stopped.
Some ran in random directions.
"What is that?!"
"This is the end of the world!"
"Is this a hack?!"
Maru looked around in shock.
"What the hell is happening?!"
Hikari stared at the sky.
"…That message."
"It looks like a system interface."
Then the air suddenly grew cold.
A dark mist gathered above the street.
A figure slowly appeared.
At first glance, he looked like an old man.
But something about him felt unnatural.
His head was unusually large and smooth, shaped like a gourd.
Long gray hair flowed behind him.
He wore an elegant traditional kimono.
Despite his relaxed posture, his presence alone made the crowd fall silent.
It was Nurarihyon.
The supreme leader of yokai.
He looked down at the frightened humans calmly.
"Humans."
"Do not panic."
The screaming slowly faded.
Nurarihyon placed his hands behind his back.
"This region has now entered the Yokai Domain."
"From this moment onward, survival will depend on your strength."
He glanced across the crowd.
"I am the one overseeing this domain."
"The leader of the Yokai influence in this region."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You may call me Nurarihyon."
"The Region Manager of Japan."
"The Night Parade will soon begin."
Suddenly—
CLANG.
Something crashed into the street in front of him.
A chainsaw.
The crowd gasped.
Maru's eyes widened.
"…Wait."
Daichi stared.
"…No way."
From the rooftop of a nearby building—
A figure jumped down.
He landed calmly.
A long black hooded cloak moved slightly in the wind.
The hood lifted.
Revealing a familiar face.
Rishiro Kagami.
Maru froze.
"…Rishiro?"
Daichi blinked.
"…Bro?"
Beside them, Hikari's cheeks turned slightly red.
"…Oh."
Rishiro walked forward casually.
Then scratched the back of his head.
"…Oops."
A small grin appeared.
"Sorry."
"My hand slipped."
For the first time—
Nurarihyon's eyes narrowed slightly.
He looked at Rishiro carefully.
Almost curiously.
As if noticing something unusual.
"…Interesting."
End of Chapter 8