Chapter 47: The Rejected Nurarihyon's Vow
Nura Rihan was rejected.
The refusal had been blunt, direct, and delivered with a certain merciless finality.
But he wasn't angry. He knew that in his current state, with nothing but a grand vision to his name, failing to recruit someone was only natural.
"Alright."
He sighed, taking the long-stemmed pipe from his lips and gently tapping the ash from its bowl.
"Since you aren't willing now, I won't force you."
"What do you mean by 'now'?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
A confident, almost roguish smile returned to Nura Rihan's face. "I mean, you will be willing in the future. When I become the Lord of Pandemonium, when my Night Parade of One Hundred Demons truly takes shape… when that day comes—"
He locked eyes with the Oni Samurai.
"I will come find you again."
"By then, you will understand what a correct choice it is to join my clan."
Hikaru simply looked at him.
This guy… he was certainly confident.
"Suit yourself," Hikaru replied, not bothering to argue the point.
"Then it's a deal!" Nura Rihan's smile widened as if he'd just received a solemn promise. "The day I become the Lord of Pandemonium, I will come for you."
His voice was filled with a fervor that bordered on prophetic.
"By then, my Night Parade will have hundreds of yokai, each one a powerhouse in their own right. When you see that spectacle, you will definitely join me."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming. "And you will be my second-in-command! The two of us, brothers, sharing the world!"
'Who's your brother?' Hikaru thought, his deadpan expression unwavering. This Nurarihyon was a real piece of work.
Still, he didn't believe a word of it.
The Nura Rihan before him was charismatic and certainly possessed the potential to back up his claims—but Hikaru knew he was also a yokai with a 'cheat' of his own.
As long as he had enough time, he would only grow stronger.
"Just you wait… Oni Samurai, Kobe Hikaru!"
With those parting words, the Nurarihyon's figure, standing under the midday sun, began to fade like ink bleeding into water. His form grew translucent, dissolving into the light until he was gone.
If not for the fact that Hikaru was a yokai and Kikyo a human with exceptionally strong spiritual awareness, they might not have perceived his departure at all.
Elusive and mysterious—the inherent nature of the Nurarihyon was on full display.
In the end, only the young man's voice remained, echoing on the breeze.
"Just you wait!"
Hikaru stood his ground, staring into the empty space where the yokai had been. The only movement was the rustling of leaves on either side of the path.
"He left?" Kikyo's voice came from beside him.
"He left," Hikaru confirmed with a nod.
"Did you never consider joining him?"
"Why would I consider it?" Hikaru retorted.
"Those things he mentioned—the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, the Lord of Pandemonium—they sound very ambitious," Kikyo mused. "As a yokai, that might be a more suitable destination for you."
Hearing this, the Oni Samurai cast a sidelong glance at the shrine maiden. Her tone was admonishing, but her words felt… insincere.
'No matter how grand his parade becomes, can it be stronger than you?' he thought wryly.
Aloud, he said, "So what? I have my own things to do. I don't have time to play his game of conquering the world."
He paused, then turned his gaze fully on Kikyo.
"And… I already have companions."
Kikyo's movements hitched for a fraction of a second. A glimmer of light flashed in her jet-black eyes, there and gone in an instant.
"Then, let's continue on our way," she said, her voice even. She asked no more questions, nor did she harbor any doubt.
Hikaru offered a faint, knowing chuckle and fell silent as well.
The Hiraikotsu on his back was a familiar weight, pressing on his shoulders, but it was a weight that made him feel secure.
[Hiraikotsu: Favorability 0 (Stranger)]
[It is still sleeping and does not want to pay attention to you.]
'This one's really hard to please,' Hikaru grumbled internally.
He reached back, his fingers brushing against the cool, bone-like surface of the giant boomerang, feeling the fierce Yao Qi coiled within it.
"When I have time, I'll give you a good wash," he murmured softly.
Hiraikotsu gave no reaction.
But for a moment, Hikaru felt that its aura didn't seem quite so resistant anymore.
Probably just an illusion.
The two continued their journey. The mountain path wound ahead, flanked by lush, dense trees. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the canopy, casting a mottled pattern of light and shadow on the dirt trail.
They walked for about an hour before Hikaru suddenly spoke.
"That Nurarihyon… what do you think of him?"
He had wanted to ask earlier. He knew of Nura Rihan's future because he had seen the 'story,' but what was Kikyo's impression?
"Nurarihyon," Kikyo began, "a type of yokai skilled at 'blending in.' They can appear silently in any situation, making everyone feel as if they were supposed to be there all along."
"You mentioned that before," Hikaru waved a hand dismissively. "That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking what you think of him."
Kikyo was silent for a moment, considering.
"He has great ambition," she said finally. "But he doesn't seem like a wicked yokai."
"You think so too?"
"Yes." Kikyo nodded. "Although his Yao Qi is dense, it lacks the foul resentment that comes from slaughtering innocent people. It carries no malice. At least, when he stood before us, he harbored no evil thoughts."
"So…" she paused, her gaze distant. "If he can truly establish the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, perhaps it won't be a bad thing."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "You support him?"
Kikyo's tone returned to its usual cool detachment. "In this chaotic world, where yokai run rampant and humans and demons live side-by-side, an existence capable of leading and restraining the yokai masses might reduce some of the unnecessary slaughter."
A small smile touched Hikaru's lips. "That makes sense," he said. "But the prerequisite is that the one leading the yokai isn't a man-eating demon himself."
"Yes," Kikyo agreed with a simple nod.
They walked on. The sun gradually climbed higher in the sky, and the air grew warmer.
Hikaru scanned the surrounding terrain.
"There should be a shrine ahead," he announced.
"How do you know?"
"It said so." Hikaru held up a clean, polished stone he had picked up from the roadside.
"..."
Kikyo offered no response. She had grown accustomed to this particular quirk of his. Though she still found it deeply strange, she had to admit that his method of 'asking for directions' was unnervingly effective.
And sure enough, after another fifteen minutes of walking, the silhouette of a shrine appeared on a distant hillside.
Its vermilion torii gate was particularly conspicuous under the bright sun. A long flight of stone steps extended from the foot of the mountain to the summit, flanked by tall, stately pine trees.
"We've arrived," Hikaru said, stopping.
He looked at the distant shrine, then down at himself—at his messy white hair, the simple gray hemp clothes he wore, and the Hiraikotsu on his back that radiated a potent Yao Qi.
"I'll wait here," he decided. "You go on and see if you can get some provisions."
Kikyo glanced at him. "Afraid of scaring people?"
"That, and this thing," Hikaru replied, gesturing over his shoulder. "My demonic aura is too heavy. If there happens to be a sensitive monk inside, they'll sense it, and it could cause unnecessary trouble."
Kikyo nodded. It was a valid concern.
"Then you wait here," she said. "I'll be back soon."
She turned and began walking toward the shrine. Her figure, clad in white robes and red hakama, was a striking sight against the green mountain. Her long, black hair fluttered gently in the wind as she went.
Hikaru watched her back as she began her ascent.
The shrine maiden climbed the stone steps, moving with a steady, graceful gait. Her form gradually grew smaller with the distance, finally disappearing behind the torii gate at the top.
Hikaru found a clean, sun-warmed rock and sat down.
He carefully unslung the Hiraikotsu from his back and laid it across his knees.
"Alright," he said to the giant boomerang, "now it's just the two of us."
He patted its surface gently.
"Want to chat?"
[Hiraikotsu: It turned over and continued to sleep.]
Hikaru sighed. "..."
This one was really playing hard to get.
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