To an ordinary person or a youkai who couldn't see through the technique, it might have seemed eerie—as if the young youkai had just teleported. But in the eyes of Sū ěr and Think... it felt more like a hundred-year-old man helping someone down the stairs.
Also, the name Rikuo... isn't that the name of the kid from the McDonald's meal?
Sū ěr retracted his gaze thoughtfully, a detail Nurarihyon noticed.
"That is my incompetent grandson. My apologies for the poor display," Nurarihyon said cheerfully. "The boy is only a quarter youkai. Consequently, he can only take on his youkai form at night, and his power is somewhat lacking."
"No wonder," Sū ěr nodded in understanding.
So that's why the kid's youki is so weak?
But the "weakness" seemed rather strange. Thinking it over, night lasts for twelve hours; that doesn't quite correspond to being a quarter-blood. Sū ěr remembered Yakumo Yukari mentioning that youkai draw power from the moon—but that was a "plate-like" moon... Had that changed in this era, too?
The sake arrived quickly. Although Nura Rikuo clearly wanted to linger and hear what kind of person could make his usually frivolous grandfather act so serious, he was shooed away by Nurarihyon in short order.
"The boy hasn't matured enough to know these things yet," Nurarihyon explained roughly, before falling into thought. "Actually, back then, someone as young as I was had no business prying into your affairs. All I know is that you, the Youkai Sage Yakumo Yukari, and the Great Dog General of the Western Lands, Tōga-ō, were plotting something big."
"Youkai Sage?" Sū ěr repeated, his expression turning strange. "Since when did Yakumo Yukari become a 'Youkai Sage'? And what about that youkai nation of hers?"
Sū ěr remembered that before Yukari sent him to the moon, she had specifically invited him to join the nation she was building with the youkai who had fled Izumo. From the phrase "a nation belonging only to youkai," it sounded like quite an ambitious project.
"Youkai nation?" Nurarihyon was visibly stunned. "There is no such nation. Ah, I see. You must be talking about the ancient era, right? Then I wouldn't know. The legends passed among youkai only start from the rise of humanity. What you're talking about must be from before the 'Upheaval of Heaven and Earth.'"
Despite Nurarihyon face being written with the conviction that only a Great Youkai who lived through those ancient times like you would know, Sū ěr actually knew no more than he did—and likely far less.
"The Upheaval of Heaven and Earth?" Sū ěr asked.
"I don't know the details. I only know it involved you, and it is your most myth-like legend among youkai," Nurarihyon pointed to the sky and then the ground. "Heaven overturned, Earth capsized. They say even the Milky Way was severed by your hand... Is such a thing even possible?"
The old youkai asked curiously. When Nurarihyon was young, he had grown up listening to such stories. But the more he matured and clashed with other youkai, the more he realized the limits of their kind. Even as he spent centuries subjugating other youkai and growing stronger himself, those limits never vanished; if anything, they became clearer.
Later, when the youkai from the myths actually appeared before him, the tense atmosphere of their confrontation hadn't allowed him to ask about such trivialities.
"...I don't know," Sū ěr said candidly. There was no point in lying about something he couldn't hide. "Keep going."
"Well, that was truly the golden age of youkai. Everyone gathered together to drink, eat, brawl, and rally. Youkai were so magnificent then... If you didn't like someone, you drew your blade; if you liked them, you shared a drink." Nurarihyon sighed deeply, sounding like an old man reminiscing about his youth.
He could tell that this Great Youkai had lost some of his memory, to the point of not knowing his own history. But that wasn't rare. He probably just woke up from a long slumber in some hidden realm and forgot things. It happened.
"Oh, right. That lady is here too, isn't she? Why not invite her out for a drink?" Suddenly remembering something, Nurarihyon gestured excitedly. He cupped his hands over his ears to mimic large ears and then made a subtle gesture toward his chest, looking like a total lecherous old man.
Sū ěr realized he was talking about Think.
"...Do those stories mention me as well?" After exchanging a look with Sū ěr, Think manifested her form, asking curiously, "How are we described? Him and me?"
"Naturally," Nurarihyon expression turned solemn. "Whenever Great Youkai are mentioned, your names are inseparable. The Great Youkai of 'One Body, Two Souls'—Sū ěr, the Star-Plucker, and Think, the Youkai Sage."
Sū ěr: "..."
Why does that sound like it came from a xianxia novel?
And why is she also a 'Youkai Sage'?
Did the youkai just take everything literally and turn it into titles? Physical 'Star-Plucking' and 'Moon-Seizing.'
"In truth, the title 'Youkai Sage' is a term of respect given to those who are exceptionally wise and who have guided the collective survival of youkai. However, to this day, only you and Yakumo Yukari hold that title," Nurarihyon added, perhaps sensing their confusion.
"Legend has it that you two have existed since the ancient era. Although you both possess immense youki, you are forced to coexist within a single body. However, instead of fighting over the body or seeking to separate, you two grew to love one another over the long centuries. You refuse to ever part, making you the ultimate paradigm of love among youkai. To be honest, even now, many youkai use your legend to encourage one another when confessing their love."
Nurarihyon was getting more and more into his storytelling.
"Oh! That reminds me. You two are currently the Guardian Deities of youkai romance! Even when I married Princess Yo [Yōhime], I offered prayers before your statues," Nurarihyon said with a boisterous laugh. "And it's not just youkai. I hear that in many parts of Japan, even humans pray to the two of you when they get married. Hahaha!"
Sū ěr: "..."
Think: "..."
What in the absolute hell is this?!
Why is this a thing?!!
"Hmm... I believe there's a shrine dedicated specifically to you two over in Nara. I hear the offerings and incense are quite plentiful," Nurarihyon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.