"So... won't it cause a massive uproar if you just walk back in like that?"
"Hmm? What does it matter? I'm not the Head of the Clan anymore."
Rikuo and Rihan walked side by side down the streets of the city.
"Still, you've been on a pretty interesting journey yourself, haven't you?" Rihan remarked, looking at his son.
"Haha. If I'd lost, I might never have come back."
"But you won. And you brought me back with you."
"No, I wouldn't call it a win. I just worked with the others to take down a troublesome monster. To be honest, my strength wasn't anything special compared to the other Servants."
Rikuo thought back to the warriors he'd fought alongside. The overwhelming power of the Saber (Toga), the lethality of the Assassin (Akame), the sheer combat skill of the Lancer (Cu Chulainn), the Archer with her legendary arsenal (Moroha), and the Berserker who had to be erased conceptually to stay dead (Shikon no Tama).
As a Rider, his options had been limited.
He never expected Rin's wish to have such a profound effect. His father, Rihan Nura, who had been dead for years, was now walking right beside him.
"I was supposed to be waiting in the Village of Half-Demons... but now that this has happened..."
"I have to go and bring Otome back personally."
"You can handle Seimei on your own, right?" Rihan asked, his lone visible eye fixed on Rikuo.
He had missed his chance once; he wasn't going to let his family slip through his fingers again.
"You're leaving me with quite the burden, Dad..."
"But it shouldn't be an issue."
The two exchanged a few more words before arriving at the gates of the Nura household.
"Yo, Kubinashi! Still as energetic as ever, I see."
Rihan walked through the gate as if he'd only been gone for a few hours. Kubinashi, who was busy sweeping the courtyard, paused and looked up.
"Oh... Rikuo-sama. And... Second Head..."
Kubinashi froze. He responded out of habit, but halfway through, his brain caught up with his eyes. The broom in his hand slipped and clattered onto the stone floor.
Clack.
"What's with that look? You look like you've seen a ghost," Rihan teased, his face a mask of casual amusement.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Kubinashi's brain had entirely shut down. He couldn't process the reality of the man standing before him.
"What's wrong?! Kubinashi!"
"Stop screaming like that... you're making a scene."
Aotabo, Kurotabo, and Kejoro rushed into the courtyard at the sound of the scream, only to find themselves staring at Rikuo and Rihan.
"..."
"Oh, everyone looks the same as always."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
The group let out a synchronized scream of disbelief that echoed throughout the estate.
"HEY! The Supreme Commander is resting! What is the meaning of this racket?!"
Karasu Tengu flew out onto the veranda, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head as he saw the newcomers.
"Karasu Tengu, long time no see."
"OOOO-O-OOOOHHHH!!!"
It was a total loss of poise. The very demon who had come to scold the others was now letting out a "weird cry" of his own.
"Rikuo-sama, what is the meaning of this?!" Karasu Tengu shrieked, flying over to Rikuo.
"Haha. Karasu Tengu, go tell everyone."
"The Second Head..."
"Is back."
Rikuo smiled, knowing how much of a shock this would be--not just to the subordinates, but even to his grandfather.
"I... I understand!"
"Where's Wakana?" Rihan asked, scanning the courtyard.
"She's in the kitchen..."
"I'll go find her first. I'll see my old man later."
"You're going to scare the life out of Mom, you know."
"Yeah... she'll probably think it's a dream. I hope she doesn't faint from the shock."
Rihan scratched his head. Returning home turned out to be more complicated than he'd thought.
"Gyuki, Itsume. You're watching us, aren't you? Why don't you come out and say hello?" Rihan called out toward the entrance hall.
"Uh..."
"..."
Compared to Gyuki's stoic silence, Itsume was visibly shaken, sweat beaded on his forehead.
"What are you afraid of? Since it's the Second Head, just go and pay your respects. There's no need for panic," Gyuki said, glancing at his companion before stepping out.
"Shut up! I'm just making sure it's not some kind of trick or illusion!" Itsume snapped back, wiping his brow.
The two demons followed Rihan inside.
The Nura Clan was alive today--livelier than it had been in years. The news spread like wildfire, not just within the main house, but to every corner of the demon world.
Rihan Nura.
He was back.
The outside world had no idea how it had happened, but for those loyal to the clan, it was a miracle worth celebrating. A grand banquet was immediately prepared at the estate.
"Well then..."
"A toast to the return of the Second Head!"
"CHEERS!!"
The demons below looked up at the familiar figure sitting beside Wakana, their faces flushed with excitement and relief.
"Good grief... if you live long enough, you really do see everything," Nurarihyon remarked, looking at his son.
Even he had been briefly convinced that he was experiencing some kind of death-bed hallucination.
'No wonder... I've been feeling better lately. It wasn't just a physical feeling.'
He took a sip of his sake. His body and [Fear], which had been fading with age, were slowly returning to their peak. He had thought it was just a temporary surge, but after Rikuo's story and Rihan's return, he understood the truth.
Rin's "wish" had affected him as well.
'What an incredible thing... "Any wish," huh?'
In all his long life, he had never encountered anything with such absolute power. He was just glad Rikuo had made it back in one piece and brought this miracle with him.
"Ohhh! Drink up!"
"Today is a day for celebration!"
"Yeah!! Toast!!"
The atmosphere was chaotic and loud, with no regard for the neighbors.
"With the Second Head back... we'll definitely win the coming battle!"
"Yeah!"
"There's nothing to be afraid of now!"
A few of the younger, rowdier demons were already getting overconfident.
Ahem.
Rihan put his cup down and cleared his throat, a deep, resonant sound that commanded instant attention.
"The one leading you now is Rikuo... not me. I've been retired for a long time."
"Let's be clear: don't get your priorities mixed up."
"If you do... even I will be quite angry."
Even without releasing his [Fear], the group felt the weight of his words.
"Besides, the current Rikuo is far more powerful than I ever was."
"Make sure you remember that."
"Right... Rikuo?"
The room fell into a tense silence, but Rikuo simply offered a faint, demon-lit smile.
Sitting near the open door to the courtyard, he didn't even stand up. He casually drew [Nenekirimaru] and delivered a casual, horizontal slash toward the open sky.
SLICE--!
A crescent of obsidian-black energy formed in the air, swallowing the hidden figures lurking in the night sky.
"When people are enjoying a party, it's rude to lurk in the shadows..."
"Are you really that afraid of us?"
The demons realized then that enemies had been watching from above. The silhouettes in the sky vanished instantly.
"Don't worry about it. Two of them escaped--Abe no Seimei's minions, most likely," Rikuo said, sheathing his blade as if it were nothing.
'Incredible... Young Lord!'
'That was so cool!'
Tsurara sat nearby, her eyes following Rikuo with a look of pure adoration.
'Did he just... cut through space?'
'He hasn't even used [Matoi], yet he can produce that level of power?'
Gyuki was impressed. He also remembered that [Nenekirimaru] was supposed to have been sent to the Keikain family for repairs; yet here was Rikuo, wielding it--and with a power that felt fundamentally different.
"Dammit! What the hell was that?!"
"Hey! No one told me Nura Rikuo had a move that terrifying!"
"Orochi's shikigami were all wiped out by that single strike!"
The scouting party had intended to gather intelligence and perhaps launch a surprise attack if the clan was distracted by the party. But the moment they'd entertained a single hostile thought, Rikuo had responded with a slash that tore through the very air.
Space itself had been shredded. Their defensive spells and onmyodo were useless against it. If they hadn't run immediately, they would have been swallowed by that crescent of death just like their shikigami.
It reeked of the void.
"We have to report to Seimei-sama!"
"The situation has changed!"
For the enemies of the Nura Clan, this was going to be a long, sleepless night.
They had to face the First Head, Nurarihyon, whose strength was returning to its prime.
They had to face the Second Head, Rihan Nura, who had returned at the peak of his power.
And they had to face the Third Head, Rikuo Nura, who had been baptized in the fires of a cosmic war.
The future had been rewritten.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]