Protected by his comrades, Nura Rikuo watched Hyōri, the Snow Woman, struggle desperately, and Aotabō, whose body was already covered in wounds. A sharp pang of guilt pierced his chest.
Kana had been taken right in front of him, yet he had been powerless to stop it.
And now, as Hyōri and Aotabō fought with everything they had for his sake, he—bearing the title of young master—could do nothing but stand there and watch.
Rikuo had never cared about yokai.
Nor had he ever cared about being the third-generation heir of the Nura Clan.
In fact, he had always believed that all the trouble in his life stemmed from that very identity.
But now—watching Hyōri and Aotabō risking their lives for him—Rikuo finally began to understand what the words young master truly meant.
At this moment, he no longer cared whether he was the heir or not.
The only things on his mind were how to help Hyōri and Aotabō… and how to rescue Kana.
Yet when he looked at the overwhelming horde of yokai surrounding them, Rikuo felt despair tightening his chest.
He couldn't even defeat a single enemy slightly stronger than himself.
Clenching his fists, he could only resent his own weakness.
—
"Want to help them?"
A calm voice echoed inside his mind.
"You should know—your power isn't weak at all.So tell me… how will you choose?
"Is the life of your friends and companions more important—or the belief you've clung to all this time… of becoming human?"
—
Within Rikuo's inner world, atop a massive cherry blossom tree in full bloom, a handsome silver-haired youth sat leisurely on a branch. Dressed in a man's kimono with a haori draped casually over his shoulder, he sipped sake while gazing down at the human Rikuo below.
His crimson eyes gleamed beneath silver-black hair.
That youth… was another Nura Rikuo.
Everyone knew that Rikuo's grandfather was a pure-blooded Nurarihyon, and his father a half-yokai. By the time the bloodline reached him, only a quarter of yokai blood flowed through his veins.
Unlike his father—who could transform freely—Rikuo could only assume his yokai form at night.
And that yokai form… was the man now sitting atop the cherry blossom tree.
"If I become you," Rikuo asked quietly, looking up,"can I save Kana… and help Hyōri and the others?"
He had always known this other self existed within him.
But all this time, he had subconsciously rejected it. Each time he returned to his human form, he would forget everything he had done as a yokai—pretending that side of himself didn't exist.
"Of course," the yokai Rikuo replied, smiling wickedly."I am the one who will become the third-generation commander of the Nura Clan.
"Isn't it only natural to protect the hundred demons under my command?
"And besides… do you really have any other choice right now?"
With that, the yokai Rikuo leapt down from the towering cherry blossom tree and pressed his hand against the human Rikuo's head—
—
Outside, Aotabō had already reached for the rosary at his chest, preparing for a desperate final stand—
When a sudden surge of terrifying yokai energy erupted from behind him.
His movement froze.
"Y-Young Master…!"
The way Hyōri and Aotabō spoke those words this time was completely different from before—filled with shock, awe… and uncontrollable joy.
Because the Rikuo standing before them had changed completely.
His former height of barely 145 centimeters had grown to nearly 175.
His short chestnut hair had transformed into a stylish silver-black pompadour.
The plain school uniform was gone, replaced by an elegant haori that radiated authority.
In an instant, the naïve middle-school boy had become a tall, handsome man—a transformation so dramatic that even cosmetic surgery advertisements would be too embarrassed to exaggerate this far.
This was true metamorphosis.
And it wasn't just his appearance.
The yokai Rikuo's demonic power eclipsed his human self many times over.
A suffocating aura of fear flooded the surroundings.
Now stood the grandson of Nurarihyon—the true third-generation heir of the Nura Clan.
"My two loyal subordinates," Rikuo said calmly,"thank you for protecting me.
"How about… I take over as your opponent now?"
The moment his words fell, his figure dissolved into the air like ink dispersing across water.
At the same time, the nekomata—still stunned by Rikuo's transformation—felt danger surge from behind through her beast-like instincts and slashed backward with her claws!
"—Clang!"
A sharp metallic ring echoed as her claws collided with the blade Miyagirimaru in Rikuo's hand.
"…You blocked it not because you broke through my Fear," Rikuo said, slightly surprised,"but because you sensed danger instinctively?"
Nurarihyon were yokai known for barging into people's homes at dusk—ignoring the owners entirely and freeloading without consequence.
Even if they ate and drank right in front of the homeowner, the victim would never realize they were there.
Rikuo's Fear perfectly replicated that power.
By enveloping himself in fear, he minimized his presence to near nothing—creating the illusion that he could be ignored.
Seen yet unseen.Like a flower in a mirror… or the moon reflected on water.
This technique was called Mirror-Still Water.
Rikuo had intended to make a flawless, dramatic entrance using it—
But unfortunately, he had chosen the one opponent with Wild Intuition.
There were too many yokai around them.
Even though Rikuo was confident in his strength, he knew that if all of them attacked at once, even he—along with Hyōri and Aotabō—would be overwhelmed.
Using his Fear, he could escape with them.
But before that…
He had to rescue Kana.
And so, Rikuo chose his target carefully—the nekomata, the strongest among them.
His plan was simple.
Crush their leader instantly with overwhelming power…and use that fear to suppress the rest.
What Rikuo hadn't expected—
Was that his very first stylish entrance would fail this badly.
He silently regretted not picking a weaker opponent.
But the sword was already drawn.
And the cool act had to be maintained.
So, looking at the cat-eared girl before him, Rikuo could only smile faintly and say,
"Impressive instincts."
Under normal circumstances, she should have responded with mockery or bravado.
But to Rikuo's complete surprise—
The girl didn't even acknowledge him.
She stared at him with pure disdain, as if looking at something utterly beneath her notice.
..
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