Chapter 86: Whispers in Kyoto, Lies in Musashi
Kyoto.
The Underground Palace.
Hagoromo Gitsune sat enthroned upon a high platform, her presence a silent, crushing weight upon the cavernous hall. The twelve layers of her kimono were a resplendent cascade of silk and gold, dazzlingly luxurious and utterly befitting her station.
Before her, Kidomaru knelt on a single knee, his head bowed low.
The distance between Kyoto and Musashi Province spanned over a thousand miles, yet for a powerful demon who specialized in speed, the journey was a trivial matter. It was precisely for this reason that Hagoromo Gitsune had entrusted him with the task.
However, the demon who returned was a shadow of the one who had departed. His condition was far from good; where two arms had once been, only one remained.
He had lost a limb.
For a yokai of his caliber, such an injury was not debilitating. Given time, the arm would regenerate. But the meaning behind the loss, the sheer fact of his defeat, was what gave one pause.
"Thou hast been defeated?" Hagoromo Gitsune's voice was a silken whisper, betraying neither joy nor anger.
Kidomaru pressed his forehead closer to the cold stone floor, his voice a ragged rasp. "That priestess's arrow… it was far stronger than this subordinate imagined." He hesitated, the memory of the battle a fresh wound. "And that Oni Samurai."
"He employed a method this subordinate has never witnessed. He made the very land his ally. Though it seemed to only provide him with an endless supply of Yao Qi, it proved… troublesome."
"The land?" For the first time, a flicker of interest entered Hagoromo Gitsune's tone. "To think a mere fledgling demon could possess such an ability. How interesting."
Within the great hall, several other figures stood in attendance—the other high-ranking yokai under Hagoromo Gitsune's command. There was a hunched old crone leaning on a twisted staff, a ferocious-looking evil spirit whose form shimmered with malice, and several indistinct shadows that lurked in the deeper darkness of the palace.
At this moment, all their eyes were fixed on the kneeling Kidomaru. Their gazes were filled with undisguised schadenfreude. To think that Kidomaru, one of the once-unrivaled terrors of Mount Ooe, a demon who had clawed his way back from the depths of hell, would see a day of such utter failure.
"Sister Hagoromo Gitsune," a youthful female voice called out from the shadows. "Should I go and deal with those two juniors?"
"There is no need," Hagoromo Gitsune replied, raising a delicate hand to silence her. "Since Kidomaru has already been defeated, the result would be the same if you were to go, Kyokotsu."
Her piercing gaze fell once more upon Kidomaru. "That Oni Samurai… the fact that he could gain the recognition of the land itself shows his methods are truly extraordinary. Coupled with a priestess whose spiritual power is potent enough to be sensed even here in Kyoto… it seems we must afford them a bit more attention."
One does not act unless one is certain of victory. She paused, a thoughtful, dangerous glint in her eyes. "I have a suitable candidate in mind."
Kidomaru looked up, his expression a mixture of shame and curiosity. "Does my Lady mean…?"
"Tsuchigumo," Hagoromo Gitsune uttered the name.
The atmosphere in the hall shifted instantly. The smirks and gloating expressions on the faces of the other demons froze, replaced by a sudden, shared tension.
Tsuchigumo. The Earth Spiders. As a race, they were quite numerous among the ranks of yokai. But numbers did not equate to weakness, and their lineage held beings of terrifying power. The core bloodline of the Tsuchigumo was said to be a demonic cluster existing since ancient times. Taking the form of monstrous spiders, they excelled at spinning webs, weaving cocoons, and manipulating the deepest fears and illusions of their prey.
And the elite among them, the one Hagoromo Gitsune spoke of, was an existence that had long surpassed ordinary demons. He was a true Great Yokai—not an existence merely on the cusp of that power like Kidomaru, but a genuine, obvious force of nature.
"Tsuchigumo… has been resurrected?" a trembling voice echoed from the darkness.
"Three days ago," Hagoromo Gitsune confirmed with a slight nod. "He has been slumbering in the deep mountains north of Kyoto for two hundred years. Now, he has finally awakened." A meaningful smile curled the corners of her mouth as she looked down at Kidomaru. "It's perfect."
"Kidomaru, go and invite him to come forth. Tell him I have a matter I would like his help with."
Kidomaru's body went rigid. "Invite Tsuchigumo? That… monster? His temper is as bizarre as his appetite is bloodthirsty." Normally, he would have no reason to fear the Great Yokai, but now, with his power diminished and an arm missing… if he were to be caught in one of Tsuchigumo's moods…
"My Lady…"
"What is it?" Hagoromo Gitsune's tone remained placid, yet it carried an edge of steel. "Are you afraid?"
Kidomaru gritted his teeth, about to force out a reply when another voice cut through the tension.
"This matter is indeed inconvenient for Lord Kidomaru. Why not leave it to me instead?"
From behind the kneeling demon, a figure slowly stepped forward. His face was pale, possessing an inhuman, almost chilling beauty. "I am Kibutsuji Muzan."
"Though I am but a minor demon under Lord Kidomaru's command, I happen to be quite skilled with words," he said, bowing low. His entire being seemed to blend smoothly with the demonic aura of the palace, making him appear both unassuming and deeply unsettling. "Please grant me one month's time."
Hagoromo Gitsune's eyes narrowed, studying the Progenitor of Demons. For some reason, a low, amused laugh escaped her lips.
At the same time, along the Tokaido road.
Atop the roof of an abandoned shrine, Nurarihyon sat cross-legged, holding a fine kiseru pipe and leisurely puffing out clouds of smoke into the evening air. Beside him crouched a short, peculiar figure. It was a small yokai, barely a foot tall, its body woven from straw and dressed in a tattered kimono. Atop its head sat a fermented natto box, emitting an indescribable, pungent smell.
This was Nattou Kozo, the first subordinate Nurarihyon had taken under his command. Though a weak and tiny demon, he possessed his own unique and surprisingly effective intelligence network.
"Boss, have you heard?" Nattou Kozo's voice was shrill with excitement. "Something big happened over in Musashi Province!"
Rihan blew a perfect smoke ring, his expression unconcerned. "What happened?"
"That Kobe Hikaru! The Oni Samurai you mentioned before!" Nattou Kozo gesticulated wildly with his straw hands. "He killed four high-level demon leaders in a single night! He even forced back a demon from Kyoto—they say it was the Ghost of Mount Ooe who vanished hundreds of years ago, Kidomaru!"
Rihan's languid movements paused. "The Ghost of Mount Ooe, Kidomaru?"
Nattou Kozo nodded so vigorously his head bobbed like a woodpecker's. "I heard that priestess with him even shot off one of Kidomaru's arms! Now all of Kanto is buzzing with rumors, calling Kobe Hikaru things like the 'Lightning-Slasher,'the'Shura of the Pure Land,'the'Kishin'—anyway, he's got all sorts of titles now!"
Rihan fell silent. He carefully put away his pipe and turned his gaze toward the western sky, in the direction of Musashi Province.
"Interesting," he murmured, a slow grin spreading across his face. "That fellow… is even more interesting than I thought."
He rose to his feet, his distinctive golden hair, shaped like the blade of a scythe, fluttering in the wind.
"It seems I need to pick up my pace as well," he declared to the twilight. "Otherwise… I'll no longer be qualified to even try and recruit him."
On the other side of the country, west of Musashi Province and closer to Kyoto, a tall pagoda stood within the grounds of a large shrine courtyard. This was the seat of Tsubaki's sect. It was said that beneath this very tower, an extremely powerful and eerie monster was sealed away.
At this moment, inside the rear hall of the shrine, Tsubaki knelt gracefully on the tatami mats. Before her sat two young priestesses.
The one on the left looked about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in the same white robe and red hakama as Tsubaki. Her jet-black hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, framing a delicate face. Though her expression was carefully indifferent, her eyes held a touch of youthful innocence. Her name was Momiji.
The one on the right was even younger, appearing to be only twelve or thirteen. Also dressed as a priestess, her round face still carried the softness of baby fat, and her large, adoring eyes were fixed on Tsubaki. Her name was Botan.
Both were Tsubaki's junior sisters and the youngest disciples in the shrine.
"Senior Sister, did something happen for you to return so suddenly?" Momiji spoke first, her voice laced with genuine concern.
"Yeah, yeah!" Botan leaned in eagerly. "Master said you went to exorcise demons. Why are you back so soon?"
Tsubaki lowered her head, arranging her features into an expression of deep pain. She played the part to perfection, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. "I encountered a very terrifying enemy."
"An enemy?" Momiji and Botan exchanged a wide-eyed glance. In their minds, their Senior Sister was a powerhouse second only to their Master. What kind of enemy could possibly make her feel afraid?
"It's a priestess named Kikyo," Tsubaki whispered, biting her lip as if recalling a horrifying memory.
"Kikyo?" Momiji frowned. "I think I've heard that name… Is she a priestess from Musashi Province?"
Tsubaki nodded, a flash of pure ruthlessness crossing her eyes for a split second before she masked it, resuming her victimized facade. "She… she is a fallen priestess."
"Fallen?" Botan's eyes grew wider. "Can priestesses fall, too?"
"They can," Tsubaki's voice turned low and conspiratorial. "She possesses an evil object called the Shikon Jewel. It can grant any wish, but it also corrupts the human heart. Kikyo has been tainted by that jewel; she is no longer a true priestess."
Momiji and Botan listened, completely captivated. They were young and inexperienced, utterly unable to distinguish the truth from the poison in Tsubaki's words.
"Not only that…" Tsubaki continued to weave her web of lies. "She has even tamed a ferocious demon to be her shikigami."
"That demon is called Kobe Hikaru. He can grow bone spikes all over his body and kills without blinking an eye. When I went there, I saw him with my own eyes…" She paused, putting on an expression as if she couldn't bear to recall the sight. "He killed so many people. An entire village… was slaughtered by him. And Kikyo just stood by and watched, doing nothing at all."
Momiji's expression hardened. "How could there be such a shrine maiden!"
"Exactly!" Botan clenched her small fists. "Aren't shrine maidens supposed to protect humans and exorcise demons? How can she kill people alongside a monster!"
Tsubaki sneered inwardly. These two little girls are so easy to fool.
She raised her head, her eyes shining with a righteous, grief-stricken fire. "I want to ask my two junior sisters to help me."
"Help you?" Momiji was taken aback. "Senior Sister, what do you want us to do?"
"I want to lead a crusade against Kikyo," Tsubaki declared, her voice becoming firm and resolute. "But my strength alone is not enough. I need your help. Momiji, you are skilled in barrier techniques; you can seal that monster's movements. Botan, although your shikigami arts are not yet mature, they should be enough to restrain our opponent. As long as the three of us join forces…"
"We will definitely be able to bring that fallen shrine maiden to justice!"
Momiji and Botan looked at each other, their young faces now burning with the flames of righteous purpose.
"Alright!" Momiji stood up first, her voice ringing with conviction. "Senior Sister, I will help you!"
"I'll help too!" Botan also jumped to her feet. "We can't let the bad guys get away with it!"
The corners of Tsubaki's mouth curled into an imperceptible, triumphant arc. "Thank you both." She stood and placed a hand on each of their shoulders, her touch deceptively warm. "Then we will set off tomorrow. To Musashi Province. To find that… Kikyo."
Her eyes, hidden from their view, held a sinister, predatory light.
Of course, she had not told her two junior sisters her true purpose. It was not Kikyo she wanted.
What she wanted—was Kobe Hikaru.
All she had to do was create chaos during the battle and seize the opportunity to snatch that magnificent monster away. Right, and those ghosts I encountered earlier… it wouldn't be impossible to make use of them, too…
A complete plan was already forming in Tsubaki's mind. As for the safety of her two junior sisters?
She didn't care in the slightest. As long as she could obtain that perfect, powerful Oni, what did sacrificing a few naive girls matter?
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