Chapter 50: The Return
Nyanko-sensei cast a casual glance at the screen. The heavily fractured and cratered highway in the photograph looked instantly familiar to him.
"Yeah, that's the place where we fought."
Noriyuki Izuna and Yomi Isayama exchanged a quick look, their spirits instantly lifting. They had finally managed to track down the source of the disturbance, which meant they could finally submit a proper report to their superiors.
Yomi Isayama asked out of sheer curiosity, "Why did you have to fight with Tsuchigumo in the first place?"
Nyanko-sensei obviously had no intention of telling them that Tsuchigumo had been after the Book of Friends, so he smoothly made up a plausible excuse on the spot. "During the great war to subjugate Hagoromo Gitsune several hundred years ago, I also participated in the conflict. That's when I ended up forming a deep grudge with Tsuchigumo."
"Now that Tsuchigumo has tracks me down, it was likely to settle that old score. Who knew that bastard could hold a grudge for so many centuries?"
Hearing that Nyanko-sensei had actually fought in the legendary battle against Hagoromo Gitsune hundreds of years ago, Yomi Isayama couldn't help but adopt a highly respectful and serious expression. "So that's how it is. You must have gone through immense hardships back then, sir."
Hearing this narrative play out, Natsume couldn't help but look at Nyanko-sensei with a deeply skeptical face.
Something about this situation felt completely off.
However, considering their current surroundings and the guests present, he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.
Noriyuki Izuna pressed further with his questions. "Where is Tsuchigumo now? Where did he go after your battle concluded?"
Nyanko-sensei replied in a thoroughly casual manner, "He's dead. I killed him."
"Huh?"
Noriyuki Izuna and Yomi Isayama were both visibly stunned by the revelation, and even Kagura Tsuchimiya couldn't help but stare at Nyanko-sensei several more times.
Tsuchigumo was a legendary, disaster-class great yokai.
For such a terrifying existence to be unexpectedly slain by a creature that looked like a fat, round lucky cat felt entirely too absurd to believe.
"What's the matter? You guys don't believe me?" Nyanko-sensei narrowed his eyes into thin slits, his expression turning distinctly unfriendly as a chilling aura of raw Yoki began to slowly ooze out from his small body.
Yomi Isayama and her companions realized right then and there that while the Maneki-neko sitting before them looked perfectly harmless and cute on the outside, he was a genuine, terrifyingly powerful great yokai through and through.
The group quickly shook their heads in unison, abandoning any hint of doubt.
Nurarihyon brought his teacup down onto the wooden table with a sharp clack, drawing their attention. He then smiled warmly at Yomi Isayama, Noriyuki Izuna, and Kagura Tsuchimiya. "Well, now that you've uncovered the truth behind the incident, I won't keep you any longer. You should head back and rest. If anything else comes up in the future, you are welcome to come seek my counsel at any time. My doors are always open."
Seeing that Nurarihyon had politely issued a clear dismissal, Yomi Isayama and the others felt it would be improper to overstay their welcome. They stood up, bowed politely to the Supreme Commander, and turned to make their exit.
Nurarihyon called out to a nearby yokai maid, "Kejōrō, go ahead and see our guests out."
Kejōrō nodded gracefully, turning to Yomi and her group. "Honored guests, please follow me this way."
Natsume watched the retreating figures of the government officials until they completely vanished from sight. Finally unable to contain the confusion swelling in his chest, he turned to ask, "Nyanko-sensei, I have a question. When you said you fought against Hagoromo Gitsune hundreds of years ago, why did the expressions on those people's faces turn so strange? They looked... almost deeply respectful."
Natsume was absolutely certain that his eyes hadn't played tricks on him.
Those official government agents had genuinely shown a high level of respect toward Nyanko-sensei. Was fighting against Hagoromo Gitsune really that big of a deal?
Nyanko-sensei puffed out his round chest with immense pride. "The reason they respect me is simply because I am a magnificent existence worthy of their deepest respect, obviously."
"Worthy?" Natsume was left entirely in the dark, his curiosity burning even hotter. He immediately pushed further, asking what exactly had transpired during that ancient era.
Nyanko-sensei and Nurarihyon exchanged a brief look.
Nurarihyon spoke up in a casual tone. "It's actually not that complicated of a story. Several hundred years ago, Hagoromo Gitsune, who held the title of the Lord of Pandemonium back then, suddenly had a wild idea. She wanted to completely eradicate the human race and establish a new world populated exclusively by yokai."
"Wait a minute?"
Natsume was thoroughly bewildered. What did he mean by Hagoromo Gitsune suddenly deciding to wipe out humanity to build a world of yokai?
That sounded completely horrifying.
"Didn't you just say that the relationship between humans and yokai is a mutually dependent one? If that's the case, why would Hagoromo Gitsune want to destroy all humans?"
Natsume simply couldn't wrap his head around the logic.
Nurarihyon explained, "Remember what we discussed earlier about the three origins of yokai? One from nature, one from fallen humans, and one born from human fear and folklore."
"Among them, yokai born directly from nature are the most unique. They can harness the power of human fear to grow stronger, but they don't actually need humans to survive. Even if they slaughtered every single human on the planet, their existence wouldn't be threatened in the slightest."
"Hagoromo Gitsune is the absolute purest example of that category."
"In order to construct a paradise solely for yokai, Hagoromo Gitsune planned to wipe out humanity entirely."
"And that is precisely the reason why I chose to stand on the side of humans."
"Because I am a yokai born directly from human folklore. If humans cease to exist, I will inevitably vanish right along with them."
"Therefore, during that great war centuries ago, countless yokai who were also born from stories and human fear rallied beneath my banner. Together, we clashed with Hagoromo Gitsune's forces, joined hands with powerful human warriors, and ultimately succeeded in defeating her, shattering her grand conspiracy to pieces."
Natsume finally understood. The reason Nurarihyon had chosen to protect humanity back then wasn't just out of pure altruism; it was largely a desperate struggle for his own survival.
"Then what about you, Nyanko-sensei? If I remember correctly, you always say that you're a high-ranking yokai born from nature, right? Why did you get involved in a war against Hagoromo Gitsune?"
Nyanko-sensei launched himself into the air, spinning gracefully through the room before delivering a swift kick right into Natsume's forehead, knocking the boy flat onto the floor once again.
"You absolute moron! Even though I am a naturally born yokai, I'm also an old drinking buddy who shared countless cups of sake with Nurarihyon! How could I possibly sit back and watch this old bastard get himself killed?"
"Even yokai understand the concept of loyalty and brotherhood, you foolish Natsume!"
Natsume rubbed his bruised forehead as the realization struck him, and he quickly offered an apology to his round companion.
Nyanko-sensei knew that Natsume didn't mean any harm, so after letting out a sharp snort, he let the matter drop.
Nurarihyon shifted his posture, his expression turning serious. "Madara, who exactly was that person who sent you two back here earlier?"
Even now, he couldn't quite put his mind at ease regarding that individual.
To possess an ability capable of effortlessly bypassing the dense layers of protective barriers erected around the Nura Clan estate, directly opening a portal into the very heart of their headquarters, and manifesting right in front of his face—it was entirely too absurd. Anyone who witnessed such a feat would find it impossible to remain calm.
And that included himself.
"What's the matter, Nurarihyon? Are you breaking out in a cold sweat?" Nyanko-sensei seemed to see right through the old commander's inner anxiety, tossing out a mocking tease with a smirk.
Nurarihyon pulled out his tobacco pouch, lit his pipe, took a long drag, and then slowly nodded his head with deep gravity.
"I am indeed quite concerned. That human's ability is simply too ridiculous."
Natsume looked back and forth between Nyanko-sensei and Nurarihyon with a thoroughly blank expression. He had absolutely no idea what these two powerful yokai were talking about, or why their expressions had suddenly become so incredibly heavy.
"To be completely honest, today was the very first time I've ever laid eyes on that guy as well," Nyanko-sensei admitted, proceeding to give a brief, straightforward recount of the day's bizarre events.
Nurarihyon exhaled a perfect ring of white smoke. "An ally, then?"
The answer failed to fully soothe his worries. A person named Yumesaki might be an ally to Natsume and Madara, but that didn't automatically make him a friend of the Nura Clan.
A friend of a friend isn't necessarily my friend.
When it came to this cold reality, Nurarihyon had learned it through bitter experience throughout his incredibly long life.
But that was perfectly fine. If there was one thing he, Nurarihyon, excelled at above all else, it was turning strangers into a massive circle of friends.
"Madara, find a suitable time to invite that ally of yours to visit the Nura Clan. Since the other party saved my friend, I can't afford to look stingy. I will bring out the finest vintage sake I've kept hidden away for decades, and I'll drink that bastard under the table."
Nyanko-sensei saw right through Nurarihyon's hidden calculations, but instead of exposing them, he simply nodded in agreement.
"Works for me."
"Drinking sake? What a shame. I don't particularly care for alcohol myself."
Meanwhile, back in Yumesaki's apartment.
After sending Natsume and Nyanko-sensei back to the Nura Clan estate, although Yumesaki had already closed the spatial portal, he had continued to employ his Clairvoyance magic to keep a close eye on the unfolding events within the mansion.
He was incredibly curious as to why Yomi Isayama and her team had shown up at the Nura Clan headquarters in the first place.
As a result, everything that transpired afterward was clearly seen and heard by Yumesaki.
Naturally, standard Clairvoyance magic didn't allow one to intercept audio, but Yumesaki possessed his own clever methods.
Before closing the spatial gateway earlier, Yumesaki had subtly opened a tiny, pocket-like spatial rift directly attached to Natsume's clothing, which remained linked to his own apartment.
Because of this setup, even though Yumesaki wasn't physically present at the Nura Clan estate, he could hear every single word of their conversation with absolute clarity.
Everything that happened next—the entirety of their dialogue—was laid bare before him.
This included the exact reason behind Yomi Isayama's sudden appearance at the mansion, the fundamental mechanics governing the birth of yokai, and the historical background surrounding Nurarihyon's ancient war against Hagoromo Gitsune centuries ago.
When it came to that final piece of information, it was actually a massive surprise to Yumesaki, as it completely deviated from the original plotline of the Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan universe.
In the original storyline of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Hagoromo Gitsune had occupied Kyoto four hundred years ago, reigning as an absolutely unrivaled Lord of Pandemonium.
She had not only possessed the body of Toyotomi Hideyori's mother, but she had also plotted to give birth to a hybrid existence of yokai and human—Nue.
The being known as Nue was, in reality, Abe no Seimei.
Within the original lore, although Abe no Seimei possessed terrifying power, he had already died long ago and was suffering intensely within the depths of hell.
Consequently, he devised a meticulous plan to contact his own mother, intending to reincarnate back into the mortal realm through her womb.
Hagoromo Gitsune possessed a fierce, boundless love for her child, so she naturally agreed to the plan without a single shred of hesitation.
However, bringing about the rebirth of Abe no Seimei—the Nue—was by no means an easy task.
To sustain her pregnancy and successfully birth Nue, Hagoromo Gitsune had to consume a massive quantity of fresh human maiden livers. She dispatched her subordinates far and wide to harvest these organs from young girls, eventually setting her sights on a beautiful noblewoman named Yohime. To claim her liver, they kidnapped her and brought her back to the castle.
But the twist was that Nurarihyon had also fallen deeply in love with that very same woman.
Although both Nurarihyon and Hagoromo Gitsune wished to claim the woman, their methods of consuming her affection were entirely different.
As a result, Nurarihyon launched an all-out war against Hagoromo Gitsune without a moment's hesitation. Armed with his legendary blade, Nenekirimaru, and aided by the powerful onmyoji Hidemoto, he ultimately succeeded in defeating Hagoromo Gitsune, who held the title of Lord of Pandemonium at the time.
Following that victory, he ascended to become the new generation's Lord of Pandemonium.
However, in this chaotic, mixed-anime crossover universe, historical events had clearly undergone a massive transformation.
The driving force behind the war between Nurarihyon and Hagoromo Gitsune centuries ago had shifted completely—from a personal crusade to save a beloved woman into a grand, noble struggle to preserve the human race.
Although both scenarios involved protecting a human, the underlying context was completely different, creating a gap as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.
As for why Hagoromo Gitsune had suddenly desired to eradicate all humans to establish a world exclusive to yokai...
Yumesaki knew the truth all too well. This wasn't actually Hagoromo Gitsune's personal ambition at all, but rather the grand design of Abe no Seimei.
Hagoromo Gitsune was merely a loyal executor of his will.
Furthermore, even after suffering a crushing defeat several hundred years ago, Hagoromo Gitsune had clearly never abandoned that core ambition.
Not long ago, Yumesaki had extracted crucial information from Kidomaru's memories regarding a planned invasion of Tokyo. Their intent to stage a massive Night Parade of a Hundred Demons right in the middle of the metropolis was, in all likelihood, the opening act for her grand, terrifying return.
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