"Ahhh! It's all because of Grandpa! I'm going to be late today!"
In Ukiyo-e Town, a boy with short brown hair and glasses bolted out of his house, a half-eaten piece of bread dangling from his mouth. His expression radiated panic and hurry.
This boy was Nura Rikuo. On the surface, he looked ordinary, but in truth, he was anything but. He was the third-generation heir of the Nura Clan, a half-human with one-quarter Nurarihyon blood.
In Japanese folklore, Nurarihyon are the supreme leaders of yokai—masters of charm, cunning, and authority. The Nura Clan, led by Rikuo's grandfather Nura Nurarihyon, had defeated the fearsome Hagoromo Gitsune four hundred years ago, cementing their position as the "Lords of All Yokai."
Though Ukiyo-e Town was only a single character different from the Ukiyo-machi Yuto had known, the world he now found himself in was distinctly otherworldly. Just days earlier, Yuto had sulked over his confiscated bonus when the system pinged him with a new transmigration assignment. He told his mother he was going on a business trip, and Kamishiro Isshin that he was taking a break—but that very night, he inexplicably arrived in this new world.
Unlike Yuto's previous world, the Nurarihyon world still teemed with yokai. Though diminished from centuries past, their presence was formidable.
Perched atop a tree, Yuto gazed at the sprawling Nura Mansion. Even from a distance, a surge of powerful yokai energy rippled from the estate. In the local vernacular, this place was a "yokai mansion"—and it truly was. Except for Rikuo and his mother, Nura Wakana, nearly everyone within was a yokai.
Using his 'Yokai Sensing' skill, Yuto could feel several of these beings matched his own strength. One in particular, hidden but immensely potent, made a chill run down his spine.
"The Nura Clan's Night Parade of One Hundred Demons… completing this mission isn't going to be easy," he muttered.
Shortly after arriving in this world, the system issued him a mission:
"Having noticed the great power wielded by the yokai kings, you now aim to build a force capable of rivaling theirs. Within six months, establish your own yokai force and reach at least the level of the Thirty-Six Night Parade of Demons. Reward: None for human reputation; 1,000 yokai reputation points."
Building a yokai force within six months and reaching the level of the Thirty-Six Night Parade of Demons—a task that sounded easy enough on paper—was anything but. Even in four centuries of this world, only Nura Nurarihyon's Nura Clan and Hagoromo Gitsune had successfully established the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. Other examples—the Eighty-Eight Demon Parade of Gyoubu Tanuki in Shikoku, or the Fifty-Four Demon Parade along the Tokaido—required decades of effort.
Commanding powerful yokai meant earning their loyalty, a feat few could achieve.
Watching Rikuo rush off toward school, Yuto leapt down from his perch, heading after him.
Meanwhile, in the Nura Mansion, Gyuki, a senior member of the clan, argued with the diminutive but imposing Nura Nurarihyon.
"It seems the current young master has no intention of leading the Nura Clan, and frankly, I don't believe he has the capacity," Gyuki said bluntly.
"Hah! And you think you're fit, Gyuki?" Hibaki, another senior, shot back, fuming. Loyal to the Nura Clan for decades, he supported Rikuo as the rightful heir.
"Facts are facts, Hibaki. Compared to the General who founded the clan and Rihan, who elevated it to its peak and defeated Hagoromo Gitsune multiple times… do you really think Rikuo is qualified?" Gyuki's voice was firm.
Ichimoku, yet another executive, nodded in agreement. The Nura Clan boasted over seventy branches and more than ten thousand yokai under its command. Every leader present had followed Nurarihyon since the beginning—they were among the first generation of the clan's most trusted executives.
"I don't care what anyone says—the Third Hokage will always be Young Master Rikuo," said a masked baboon, his eyes scanning the ambitious faces around him. "I'll never acknowledge anyone else!"
Despite his words, even the baboon had to admit the truth: the current Rikuo was utterly disappointing. Weak in strength, more concerned with humans than yokai, and full of self-righteous pride, he was a far cry from his illustrious ancestors.
Many yokai, even within the main clan, had long since lost hope in this so-called young master. If not for the enduring authority of Nurarihyon and Rihan—whose past favors still commanded respect—the Nura Clan might have fractured long ago.
The Nura Clan remained the strongest yokai organization, repeatedly foiling Hagoromo Gitsune's ambitions. But with a weak and unambitious heir, dissatisfaction among the executives was only natural.