Eaten?
Kotoko Iwanaga froze, studying Morpheus closely. He was definitely human, not some vengeful spirit or ghost.
Morpheus smiled. "No need to stare. I'm an Ajin, so I came back to life."
Kotoko's eyes widened in realization.
Morpheus continued, "Not only did I survive, but I gained immense power from the ordeal. That's why I'm hunting the yokai that ate me."
"The memory of being eaten was so traumatic that I subconsciously forgot its face."
"But I still remember its voice—and the gleeful laugh it let out while devouring me."
At that moment, the bound yokai finally understood why Morpheus had demanded they laugh.
So that's what this was about.
But, heavens above, they hadn't eaten him! They didn't even know who he was!
This was a disaster out of nowhere.
Many of the yokai were on the verge of tears.
Knowing why Morpheus had the Nura Clan capturing yokai, Kotoko found herself in a tough spot. If Morpheus weren't an Ajin, he'd be dead by now.
Convincing him to abandon his revenge would be no easy task.
And she had no real grounds to ask him to give it up.
"I understand."
After a brief silence, Kotoko said, "Lord Morpheus, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Are any of these captured yokai the one you're looking for?"
"Not sure yet. I haven't finished interrogating them."
Morpheus glanced at the group of yokai.
Kotoko said, "If—hypothetically—none of these yokai are the one you seek, could you entrust this matter to me?"
"You?"
Kotoko nodded. "The Nura Clan's actions lately have left Tokyo's yokai in a state of panic. Some are even planning to flee the city."
"If this continues, the yokai that ate you might escape Tokyo."
"So, I propose you let me handle this. I'll investigate this yokai discreetly."
"In return, I ask that you have the Nura Clan cease their actions, allowing Tokyo's yokai to return to normal."
"As a trade, I swear to find the yokai that ate you."
"I stake the honor of the Goddess of Wisdom on it."
Kotoko looked up at Morpheus, her gaze resolute, unwavering.
Morpheus studied her for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Excellent. I like your spirit, Miss Kotoko Iwanaga. Become my follower."
"Huh?"
Kotoko blinked, stunned. The word "follower" wasn't something to be thrown around lightly.
Morpheus placed his hands on her shoulders, channeling a surge of the Power of Light into her, forcibly making her his follower.
He wasn't about to let someone this promising slip away.
Feeling the influx of power, Kotoko let out an involuntary gasp.
Her severed left leg regrew, and her lost right eye reformed.
In an instant, she went from disabled to whole.
What shocked her even more was the continuous flow of Morpheus's power, surpassing the legacy of the miko and granting her even greater strength.
This had to be a joke.
Kotoko was dumbfounded.
It took her a while to snap out of it, muttering, "You're one forceful deity, aren't you?"
Morpheus replied candidly, "When you see something you want, you take it. Isn't that only natural?"
"Sure, sure."
Kotoko rolled her eyes, too exasperated to argue.
She, the Goddess of Wisdom of yokai, had somehow become the follower of another deity.
It was absurd, and she wasn't sure how to face Morpheus now.
Fortunately, her miko legacy remained intact.
Her spiritual energy and Morpheus's Power of Light coexisted distinctly, like two rivers flowing side by side.
So, she was still the Goddess of Wisdom of yokai—just a lot stronger now.
In a way, that was probably a good thing.
Morpheus then placed a platform seal on Kotoko, explaining its benefits and functions: personal rooms, follower meetings, time stasis, storage space. Kotoko listened, wide-eyed.
These features were almost too grand.
If they were real, becoming Morpheus's follower might not be such a bad deal.
He was offering a lot.
Unaware of Kotoko's inner thoughts, Morpheus turned his attention to the bound yokai.
He'd already revealed his purpose to Kotoko, and the yokai had overheard.
To prevent them from altering their unique laughs with yokai energy, Morpheus abandoned interrogation for a more direct approach.
Memory reading.
The yokai were far weaker than him, so extracting their memories was effortless.
Unfortunately, none of them were the one that ate his predecessor.
They had eaten humans, but none of their memories included Morpheus.
They weren't his target.
It was disappointing.
The yokai that ate him was proving to be annoyingly lucky, escaping capture twice.
But Morpheus was confident. As long as it was still in Tokyo, he'd find it eventually.
And when he did, he'd tear it to shreds.
He turned to Kotoko. "None of these are the one I'm after. I'll leave the rest to you. Make sure you find that yokai."
Kotoko nodded. "Leave it to me. I'll track it down."
Morpheus was pleased with her attitude. He extracted a memory fragment from his mind—the yokai's mocking laughter as it ate his predecessor—and implanted it into Kotoko's mind.
With this fragment, her chances of finding the yokai would be higher.
Finally, he addressed Tsurara Oikawa of the Nura Clan. "I'm handing this over to Kotoko from here on out. The Nura Clan can stand down."
"But you've helped me a lot, so I owe you a proper reward."
Morpheus thought for a moment, then seized the group of man-eating yokai. Using the Power of Light, he compressed them into a ping-pong-ball-sized orb.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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