The malice that had gathered in the air was instantly swept away.
All because they were facing an overwhelming, all-consuming evil.
Like a gale. Like a mire. Like a tidal wave.
That concentrated, tangible malevolence shattered reason, peeling away the outer shell called "bravery" and laying bare the raw fear beneath.
Yes—fear.
Even if they had steeled themselves to come this far, at their core, they were still afraid.
Afraid of death. Afraid of their families falling apart. Afraid of their country's ruin.
That fear was unearthed by Ashiya Douman, devoured by Ashiya Douman.
At this moment, he resembled nothing so much as a beast—beautiful and monstrous—glutted on fear and malice.
"You all smell so sweet… like nectar. Truly satisfying! Fufufu—thank you all for your generous hospitality."
His grating laughter rippled through the air. Between his fingers suddenly appeared several strange ofuda, each inscribed with a single staring eye.
"Well then—since you've all lost the will to fight, allow this humble monk to take his leave. Naturally, I'll be bringing these two with me… they're such delightful toys, after all! Fuhahahahahahaha!"
White ofuda surged upward into the sky. The air howled with an eerie gust of yōkai wind, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
And when the wind died down, when they dared to look again—
Ashiya Douman was gone.
So were Nura Rikuo and Oikawa Tsurara.
Confusion spread among the crowd. Should they still hunt Rikuo down?
They hadn't come out of courage, after all—just ignorance. These were people who had never truly seen the horror of yōkai. It was hot-blooded foolishness, nothing more.
But Ashiya Douman's crushing aura of pure evil had dragged their fear into the open, carved it into their minds in the most visceral way possible.
To continue the hunt? Or to abandon it and await what comes?
Whatever they chose, Ashiya Douman couldn't care less. Whether one ant or a swarm of ants, they were all beneath his notice.
In a deserted alleyway, a wave of frost suddenly surged forth.
White mist bloomed around them, and the temperature plummeted below freezing.
"Oh my, oh my?"
Though a touch of surprise colored his voice, Ashiya Douman's twisted smile never wavered.
His outstretched arm was slowly being encased in ice. And standing before him, icy breath visible in the air, was Oikawa Tsurara, shielding Rikuo behind her, gaze fixed warily on Douman.
"Tsurara! What are you doing?!"
"Rikou-sama! This guy... he feels incredibly dangerous!"
The air continued to chill, moisture crystallizing into falling snowflakes. All of it—Tsurara's doing.
She didn't dare take her eyes off Ashiya Douman for even a second. She called out loudly behind her:
"Even the most violent, most vicious yōkai I've ever met... none of them compare to him. He's definitely not human—he's… he's…"
He's like a black sun—radiating nothing but malice across the earth.
She didn't say it out loud, but she knew Rikuo must be thinking the exact same thing.
"Tsurara."
A hand gently landed on her shoulder. She tensed.
"Oh my, oh my~?"
Ashiya Douman's grin widened, as if he'd stumbled upon something delicious.
"No matter what he is," Rikuo said calmly, "the fact remains—he saved us. Until we've repaid that debt, striking based on nothing but a sense of foreboding... isn't the Nura Clan's way."
He hadn't changed in appearance, but his demeanor now carried the unmistakable presence of a leader of yōkai—a nascent but budding authority, perhaps the early signs of an E to D-rank Charisma skill.
"But…"
Tsurara frowned slightly. "Didn't he say something about turning the whole country into hell?"
"Ah, that? Just a joke, a joke. How could this humble monk ever commit such atrocities? I'm a very good person, you know?"
With a careless flick of his arm, Douman shattered the ice around him. His face now wore the smile of a harmless fool, a stark contrast to the aura of pure evil from moments before.
"No need to glare at me like that. True, I have done a lot of very, very bad things in the past… but I've turned over a new leaf! Honestly! I got thoroughly punished for it too, you know? I'm just a humble sinner working off my debts now. Hehehe…"
Rikuo studied that smile in silence for a moment, then turned back to Tsurara.
"See? He said he's reformed. Surely we can offer him a little trust?"
"…Rikou-sama, that sounds so suspicious!"
To Tsurara, Douman was an avatar of pure malevolence. Hearing him say "I've reformed" felt about as believable as Zeus swearing celibacy to the gods.
Especially with that creepy little chuckle at the end. No way that belonged to a "good guy."
Rikuo smiled gently, as if to soothe her, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat. Then he looked back to Ashiya Douman.
"As the third heir of the Nura Clan, we won't forget your aid. However…"
In that instant, Rikuo's gentle air vanished. What replaced it was a blade-sharp killing intent—his aura, like a drawn sword, locked squarely onto Douman.
"If we discover that you've harmed humans or stirred up trouble within our territory… I will personally cut off your head."
That was his vow. The rule he set when he inherited the title of Lord of a Hundred Demons.
Human or yōkai—he would carry them all. Protect them all.
But if anyone dared to disrupt the balance, to bring harm upon innocents, he would not hesitate to strike them down.
Just as swiftly as it had come, the pressure vanished. Rikuo once again looked like the mild, easy-going student who was far too easy to push around.
"I'm Nura Rikuo, third heir of the Nura Clan. May I ask your name?"
"Hmmmmm... Is this the part where we introduce ourselves? Does that mean I've earned a sliver of trust? Oh, what joy, what joy…"
Douman gave a small clap, then wore a troubled look.
"But my name… now that is troublesome. If people learn it, many… many unfortunate things might occur. So please, just call this humble monk Limbo. Or Alter Ego Limbo, if you prefer. I don't mind either way! Fufufu~"
"As for my identity... I'm nothing but a humble onmyōji of the Bōrima school. Naturally, I can't hold a candle to the famed Nura Clan… fufufu!"
"An onmyōji?"
Rikuo and Tsurara exchanged looks of surprise.
"Like the Keikain clan?" Tsurara asked.
"Mmmmmm, yes… you could say that. Or perhaps… it's the Keikain who are like me… hehehe."
Bowing slightly to Rikuo, Ashiya Douman said, "It's a great honor to be speaking face to face with the Nura Clan's third heir. However… it seems like you've got some trouble on your hands. Not exactly the best time for a chat, is it?"
Rikuo understood what he meant.
"This country will be destroyed. To save it, the child of a human and yōkai—Nura Rikuo—must be killed."
That was the Kudan's prophecy.
"Allow this humble monk to offer a small tip—something I just noticed," Douman said, drawing their attention.
"Those people who attacked you earlier… there was something odd about them. Their aura… faint, but definitely there. They'd been influenced by yōjutsu."
"Yōjutsu?" Rikuo asked.
"Yes indeed. Magic that makes people more susceptible to certain ideas, more prone to losing reason. That sort of thing. The downside is, it only works on weak-minded humans. But the upside? It spreads fast—and it spreads wide."
Tilting his head thoughtfully, Douman mused, "What was that thing called again...? Ah, yes—the Internet. With that, you can blanket an entire nation with this kind of spell in just one night. Compared to my time, where information barely trickled... this is far trickier. Though still quite crude, of course. Fufufu! This humble monk is very versatile!"
"Is there any way to stop it?"
Rikuo's voice was urgent.
"Oh? Oh oh oh? You're asking me for help? You're placing trust in someone like me? How sweet...!"
His eyes gleamed, laughter dancing behind them.
"Unfortunately, there's no clean solution. The spell's already been cast. Even if you kill the caster, the effect won't vanish. But... at the very least, you can keep it from spreading further."
"And how would we do that?" Rikuo pressed.
"Well, let me see... The only way left is to fight it with reality."
"After all, falsehoods are still false. When confronted by truth, they crumble. Don't you think?"
Understanding dawned on Rikuo's face, and he smiled with confidence.
"So, if I take down the mastermind behind all this, and prove through my actions that I'm here to protect humanity—then I can turn things around?"
With that, he strode past Douman, as if stepping onto a path from which he would never return.
"Let's go, Tsurara."
For a moment, she stood transfixed, watching his back with wide eyes. Then, startled by his call, she hurried after him.
"W-Wait for me, Rikou-sama!"
"Do you really think you can do it, Nura Rikuo?"
Douman's voice halted him for a beat.
"Betrayed by humans… and yet you still hold to your beliefs? Still intend to find the hidden hand behind this and tear it out? Do you think you can truly change how humans see you? Their words can be sharper than any kamaitachi's claws, you know."
"You think I'd be scared off by that?" Rikuo scoffed, cocky and fearless.
As twilight deepened, his silhouette grew tall and sure.
The wind tugged at his hair, streaking it in black and white.
Turning slightly, Rikuo shot Douman a bold, defiant grin.
"I'm the one who'll shoulder both humans and yōkai. If I let something like this stop me, how could I ever call myself Lord of all Mononoke?"
He drew the long blade strapped to his back and marched toward the mouth of the alley.
"Besides... if I stayed cowering in the dark, that bastard manipulating people would probably laugh himself sick. And if I've already pissed him off, then I have to drag him out and slice him to bits."
So cool... Rikou-sama's so cool...
Tsurara's face flushed pink, stars sparkling in her eyes.
"Come on, Tsurara."
With his sword slung over one shoulder, Rikuo grinned. "Time to show these fools who's turf they're messing with."
"Yes, Rikou-sama!"
It wasn't until the two disappeared down the alley that Ashiya Douman spoke again, to no one in particular.
"Mmmmmmmm… Hahahaha! They actually trusted someone like me? What is this feeling? Joy climbing up from my feet to the crown of my head… And if that trust were to be betrayed—trampled underfoot—ahhh, what a sweet taste his heartbreak would be! What a delicious expression it would birth... mmmmmm!"
His body twisted with glee. Under the streetlight, his shadow warped—grotesque, inhuman.
Then, suddenly, he stopped.
"But... I am a Servant of the Lawful alignment this time. Can't go too far. He wouldn't allow it."
"And since it's his request… this humble monk will give it everything. No matter how cruel the ending, I'll follow him all the way. So please—leave it all to me."
"I am a carnivorous beast, cruel and merciless. If I can't inflict despair on Rikuo and his friends... then I'll deliver it unto their enemies!"
Mmmmmmm... Hahahahahahahaha—!!
From within the shadows came a laugh.
A sound that scrambled the mind. A blessing of madness, gifted by something that should never be heard.
---
T/N: gulp why is he turning me on