Chapter 42: Nyanko-sensei's Sudden Ambush
Rewinding time slightly to the moment just before Yumesaki had stepped out of his house.
On the completely opposite side of Tokyo, deep within Ukiyo-e Town.
"Wait a minute, Nyanko-sensei! Do we really have to go outside?"
Natsume stood right in front of the main entrance gates of the Nura Clan mansion, cradling Nyanko-sensei in his arms, his feet completely hesitant to take a single step forward out into the open.
From Natsume's perspective, they had traveled to Tokyo to seek refuge and find safety, not to go on a casual sightseeing trip.
Regarding Nyanko-sensei's insistent desire to wander around Tokyo, even though Natsume himself was a bit curious, he still couldn't shake off his deep hesitation.
To say he had absolutely no interest in Tokyo would be a complete lie, because this was Tokyo after all, one of the most prosperous and bustling megacities in the entire world.
But the real problem lay in the fact that he was currently being hunted by Hagoromo Gitsune's deadly subordinates who wanted him dead. What if they ran into extreme danger the moment they left the safety of the Nura Clan compound?
He truly did not want to cause any additional trouble for the Nura Clan.
"What on earth are you so terrified of, Natsume?"
Nyanko-sensei spoke in a completely indifferent tone, "Don't you still have me right by your side? You couldn't possibly think that those useless bands of low-tier Yokai serving under Hagoromo Gitsune could actually defeat me, could you?"
"Relax, Natsume. With me around, everything will go smoothly and there won't be a single issue."
Following Nyanko-sensei's repeated rounds of badgering and reassurance, Natsume finally took his first steps out of the Nura Clan gates, officially commencing his Tokyo excursion.
When he had first arrived in Tokyo yesterday, his mind had been entirely preoccupied with locating Ukiyo-e Town, leaving him with absolutely no mental room to properly observe this incredibly prosperous international metropolis.
Today, he finally possessed the opportunity.
Tokyo was, in reality, far more prosperous than anything he had ever imagined.
Over at the Shibuya Crossing, the moment the traffic lights shifted from red to green, massive waves of people originating from every conceivable direction converged upon the zebra striping, forming a rushing, turbulent river of humanity.
Salarymen dressed in crisp business suits held tightly onto their briefcases while moving with rapid, synchronized strides. Young girls dressed in bright, fashionable outfits clutched iced coffees while laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Massive LED screens mounted high on the shopping centers blasted the music video of a brand-new track from a popular idol group. The driving electronic beats blended seamlessly with the acoustic guitar strums of a street musician, transforming the entire thoroughfare into a boiling cauldron of urban life.
Bustling, a level of crowded energy he had never witnessed before.
This was the absolute first time Natsume had ever laid eyes on such an immense sea of people.
"Tokyo truly lives up to its grand reputation."
"Hold on a second, Natsume. The weather is getting a bit hot, I want to eat some shaved ice."
Just as Natsume was admiring the sheer prosperity of Tokyo, Nyanko-sensei, who was resting comfortably in his arms, spoke up.
His voice wasn't particularly loud or soft; it was his standard speaking tone. Yet, aside from Natsume, not a single human pedestrian around them caught a word of what Nyanko-sensei said.
Or rather, everyone heard it, but what registered in their ears was merely the ordinary meowing of a regular house cat.
"Meow!"
Because of this, even if someone happened to be standing right next to Natsume, they wouldn't find the situation strange at all.
This massive city of Tokyo harbored no shortage of people with unique personal styles. A teenager carrying around a plump lucky cat was a completely ordinary sight to behold.
The only thing that actually made passing pedestrians turn their heads for a second glance was the undeniable handsomeness of Natsume's features.
His soft, short hair gave off a gentle light-brown hue under the bright sunshine. His clear, tea-colored eyes looked as pristine as water freshly drawn from a mountain spring. The hem of his white button-down shirt fluttered gently in the warm breeze, revealing a glimpse of his slender wrists beneath, which were slightly flushed from the sun's heat.
He truly was an exceptionally good-looking youth.
However, the attention lasted only for a fleeting moment, because in Tokyo, the absolute last thing they lacked was handsome men and beautiful women.
The individual members of the idol group projected across the massive shopping mall LED screens weren't a single bit inferior to Natsume.
After offering a momentary glance of admiration, the busy pedestrians quickly went on their way.
Leaving behind a country boy who didn't quite fit into the rapid, relentless rhythm of this giant metropolis.
"Nyanko-sensei, where am I supposed to find shaved ice for you around here?"
Faced with Nyanko-sensei's sudden demand, Natsume knitted his brows together in slight distress.
"I don't care! I just want to eat shaved ice! The weather is boiling hot, I just want to eat something freezing cold! Natsume, hurry up and look around, go find it right now!"
"Alright, alright, alright, I'll go look for it this instant."
Seeing Nyanko-sensei throwing a tantrum and whining like a child, Natsume had no other choice. He quickened his pace, searching for a shop that sold cold treats.
Without even realizing it, Natsume gradually wandered further and further away from the dense crowds.
Eventually, along a quieter side street that saw far less pedestrian traffic, he spotted a small shop selling cold beverages.
"Ah, I finally found one."
"Ah, I finally found you."
Just as Natsume let out a sigh of relief, a deep, heavy voice suddenly echoed out.
Natsume couldn't help but freeze in place for a second, because no matter how he listened to it, this voice didn't sound like Nyanko-sensei's voice at all.
At the exact same instant, Nyanko-sensei, who had been resting on top of Natsume's head, sensed an immediate threat. He kicked off Natsume's body, forcefully launching the boy away.
"Natsume, watch out!"
Natsume, who had been thrown clear through the air, hadn't even fully gathered his senses when he witnessed a massive fist—one larger than his entire face—smashing down with terrifying force, striking Nyanko-sensei's body with a dull, heavy thud.
The impact sent Nyanko-sensei flying through the air like a launched cannonball.
"Nyanko-sensei?!"
Natsume hit the pavement with a harsh thud. Before he could even cry out in pain from the fall, an involuntary shout of sheer shock escaped his lips.
He had seen it with absolute clarity. A monstrous Yokai whose physical proportions resembled a small mountain, sporting crimson-red hair, jagged fangs, multiple powerful arms, and donning a terrifying Oni mask, had appeared beside him out of nowhere and sent Nyanko-sensei flying with a single punch.
Just a moment ago, if Nyanko-sensei hadn't reacted in the nick of time and kicked him out of harm's way, the one flying through the air right now wouldn't have been Nyanko-sensei, but his own human body.
In other words, Nyanko-sensei had just saved his life, while he had done nothing but drag Nyanko-sensei into danger yet again.
This realization flooded Natsume with intense guilt, and he couldn't help but carefully observe this formidable Yokai that had launched the sudden ambush.
The presence of this Yokai standing at the edge of the street felt like someone had forcibly crammed a massive, ancient sea monster into a tiny goldfish bowl.
Yet, despite this, not a single ordinary human pedestrian stopped their pace.
There was no magical Barrier erected, nor was there any active disguise spell at work.
This massive monster, which blocked a considerable portion of the pathway, stood there in plain, open sight, but the humans kept walking forward as if nothing had happened, completely unable to perceive the creature.
However, whenever people drew close to his position, they would unconsciously veer to the side to avoid him, though they never found anything amiss about their sudden change in direction.
"Brat, your name is Natsume, is it not?" The Yokai spoke, his voice incredibly deep, so low that one could literally feel the vibrations traveling up through the soles of their feet, yet his tone remained surprisingly flat and detached, "Hand over the Book of Friends."
Natsume instinctively clutched his chest, where the Book of Friends was kept tucked away against his body, a treasure he never separated from under any circumstance.
But there was absolutely no way he would ever surrender it to the Yokai standing before him.
"Hey, Tsuchigumo."
Right at that critical moment, a giant Yokai landed heavily on the ground, shielding Natsume completely behind his massive form.
It was Nyanko-sensei, who had been sent flying just moments before.
At this point, he had shed his round, lucky cat form, returning entirely to his original, true manifestation. In terms of both height and physical scale, he didn't lose out to Tsuchigumo in the slightest.
"I didn't expect that Hagoromo Gitsune would actually dispatch someone like you over here as well."
"It has been a long time, Madara." Tsuchigumo snorted coldly, his eyes sweeping up and down Madara's form in a dismissive glance, "To think that you have actually been tamed by a mere human. It is truly an incredibly disappointing sight."
Hearing those words, Natsume felt a surge of anger rise up within him. Was this monster dare to look down upon the deep bond shared between Nyanko-sensei and himself?
"Nyanko-sensei has absolutely not—"
"There is no need to explain anything to him, Natsume." Nyanko-sensei's deep, resonant voice cut through, soothing Natsume's rising anger, "The relationship between you and me isn't something that a creature with overdeveloped limbs like you could ever comprehend, Tsuchigumo. Now turn around and go back where you came from, and I might just let you walk away."
Hearing that, Tsuchigumo couldn't hold back a massive roar of laughter.
"Hahaha! You certainly talk big, Madara! That punch from just now should have inflicted a rather severe injury upon you, shouldn't it?"
He possessed absolute, unwavering confidence in his own physical might. Even if it was Madara, a fellow great Yokai, taking one of his direct punches straight-on meant it was physically impossible for him to escape completely unscathed.
The creature standing before him was merely putting up a tough front, enduring the pain through sheer stubbornness.
Nyanko-sensei let out a cold snort, "In that case, why don't we find out?"
Tsuchigumo narrowed his eyes, and a torrent of immensely powerful Yoki flooded out from his body without any restraint. The surrounding human pedestrians instantly felt a heavy, suffocating pressure wash over them.
This sudden pressure descended without warning, leaving the pedestrians completely bewildered as to what was happening.
One by one, the people quickly began to vacate the street to escape the uncomfortable sensation.
In the blink of an eye, the previously bustling street became completely deserted, devoid of a single ordinary human.
Well, except for one person remaining.
"Fall back, Natsume." Nyanko-sensei commanded, his vast Yoki surging outward with a thunderous roar, clashing violently against Tsuchigumo's opposing Yoki.
The two unseen torrents of energy instantly warped and distorted the very air between them.
Natsume sensibly retreated a safe distance away, ducking behind a heavy vending machine to use it as a makeshift shield.
He knew all too well that the impending battle was on a level where he could not offer any assistance.
A clash between Yokai—especially a duel between great Yokai of this caliber—meant a human body was as fragile as a sheet of paper. One didn't even need to take a direct hit; merely standing in the vicinity of the crossfire could tear a human to pieces.
Once Natsume had safely concealed himself, Tsuchigumo's massive frame suddenly closed the distance toward Nyanko-sensei.
Despite his titanic proportions, his speed and agility were shockingly immense.
A giant fist shot forward like a fired cannon shot, aimed squarely at Nyanko-sensei's head.
The shockwave erupted.
The sheer impact of pure, raw strength unleashed a visible wave of compressed air that rippled outward across the asphalt.
Nyanko-sensei's counterforce was potent enough to obliterate half the body of most ordinary Yokai on the spot, but Tsuchigumo merely swayed slightly from the collision, as if he had been nipped by nothing more than a mosquito.
Nyanko-sensei, however, was sent crashing backward, hitting the ground in a tumbled, chaotic heap.
"Nyanko-sensei...!"
"Stay back, Natsume!"
Nyanko-sensei barked, halting Natsume who was about to rush forward. He slowly pushed himself up from the ground, his gaze locking tightly onto Tsuchigumo with intense hostility.
"As I thought, you really are injured, Madara."
Tsuchigumo knew full well that if the other party were in his peak condition, he would never look this disheveled, let alone fail to withstand a single blow from him.
The true reason was that the initial surprise attack had already inflicted heavy damage upon him.
"Out of respect for our shared status as great Yokai, as long as you have that brat named Natsume hand over the Book of Friends, I can allow both of you to walk away with your lives." Tsuchigumo stated in a measured tone.
"Don't even dream about it." Nyanko-sensei refused flatly without a moment's hesitation. He had long since regarded the Book of Friends as his own personal property, so how could he ever hand it over to Tsuchigumo and Hagoromo Gitsune's faction.
Tsuchigumo's face gradually twisted into a sinister, monstrous scowl, the bloodthirsty intent within his eyes burning brighter by the second.
"Then do not blame me for being ruthless."
He decided right then and there that he would finish off these two fools today, and then claim the Book of Friends from their corpses.
Having made his decision, Tsuchigumo launched himself forward once again. Nyanko-sensei unleashed a ferocious roar and, refusing to back down, surged forward to meet the charge head-on.
The two powerful Yokai instantly locked into a brutal, chaotic melee.
Nyanko-sensei's movements were blindingly fast, his sharp, massive talons tearing through the air as they lunged straight for Tsuchigumo's throat.
Yet Tsuchigumo didn't even bother to dodge. One of his uppermost arms slammed down with crushing force, his palm—which loomed as large as a massive millstone—carrying a mountain-shattering weight as it struck squarely against the flank of Nyanko-sensei's body.
The impact resounded, causing the very earth beneath them to tremble violently as Nyanko-sensei was swatted completely sideways, his entire form flying through the air from the sheer force of the blow.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
70 Power Stone = 1 Bonus Chapter (Up to 5 bonus chapters per week).
Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters from Webnovel here:
patreon.com/FaaanzKun