The yokai of the Nura Clan, more than anyone else, were utterly exasperated by Rikuo Nura's habit of completely forgetting everything he had said and done the previous night the moment he reverted to his human form each morning.
To them, the difference was night and day.
They vastly preferred their young master in his Nurarihyon form to the indecisive human boy he became under the sun.
The previous night, although the Old Rat Clan had failed to wipe out the Nura Clan's forces outright, they had still managed to eliminate many of the troublesome minor yokai lurking throughout the surrounding districts.
Back at the Nura residence, Aotabō and the others were in excellent spirits. Without delay, they held yet another banquet, drinking themselves into a stupor as though nothing in the world could trouble them.
When Rikuo returned home from school as usual, Natto-bō, sake bottle in hand, swaggered straight up to him.
"So, Young Master!" he slurred cheerfully. "Where are you planning to lead us tonight? Which yokai are we crushing next?"
Hearing the question, Rikuo—already in a foul mood—quickened his pace and bolted straight for his grandfather's room without responding.
In his human form, Rikuo had never seriously considered becoming the third-generation successor to the Supreme Commander of Yokai.
And today, after learning that Kana and the others had been dragged into dangerous conflicts because of him, his resistance toward that destiny only deepened.
Storming recklessly into the meeting hall, Rikuo intended to declare—once and for all—that he had no intention of inheriting the position.
But the moment he stepped inside, his words died in his throat.
Not only was his grandfather present, but every executive of the Nura Clan had gathered as well.
Faced with so many towering figures—each an existence capable of ruling entire regions—Rikuo was instantly overwhelmed.
Before he could retreat, Nurarihyon spoke.
"Rikuo. You've heard the news, haven't you?" his grandfather said calmly, taking a slow puff from his pipe."Given what you accomplished last night, you're more than qualified to bear the title of the Nura Clan's young master."
He glanced toward an empty seat.
"You're eligible to attend this meeting. Since you're already here, sit."
Rikuo had been planning to leave the moment he realized a formal meeting was underway, but Nurarihyon's words stopped him in his tracks.
The other executives voiced no objections.
After all, those present were the highest authorities within the Nura Clan—leaders of their own factions, yokai who would be considered regional tyrants elsewhere.
Naturally, they were all aware of the events of the previous night.
Under Rikuo's leadership, the main branch of the Nura Clan had led a Hyakki Yagyō—the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons—systematically wiping out the troublesome yokai infesting the surrounding area.
Once everyone had settled, Nurarihyon spoke again.
"Regarding the baboon's death—who do you think was responsible?"
The question cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"The baboon… is dead?!"
Rikuo shot to his feet, disbelief written across his face.
Among all the executives of the Nura Clan, he had been closest to the baboon.
Though Rikuo carried only a quarter of the Nura bloodline—and though many questioned his legitimacy—the baboon never had.
Like Zen, who treated Rikuo as a brother, the baboon's faction had always shown him the warmth of family.
The news left Rikuo reeling.
If he remembered correctly, the baboon was one of the oldest surviving yokai, having fought alongside Nurarihyon centuries ago.
Though four hundred years had passed and age had dulled his power somewhat, he was still a high-ranking member of the Nura Clan.
Even weakened, he wasn't someone who could be casually killed.
"Young Master," the crow tengu said as he fluttered to Rikuo's side, "the baboon was killed on his way back to the Nura estate yesterday.Based on the timing, it likely happened last night."
He lowered his voice.
"From the traces at the scene, the attacker was also a yokai. However, their identity and motive remain unknown."
It was precisely because of the baboon's death that Ushioni and the others had convened.
The murder of a Nura Clan executive—on Nura Clan territory—was no mere provocation.
It was an outright declaration of war.
Though the baboon was not a frontline fighter, he had stood beside Nurarihyon for generations. Everyone knew his true strength.
Anyone capable of killing him—and his entourage—was no ordinary foe.
"Could it have been Kidōin?" one executive muttered."In this region, they're the only ones powerful enough to pull this off."
Recently, the Kidōin faction's influence had been steadily growing—a fact Mokuyō Daruma and the others were well aware of.
They also knew that the so-called Shogun had not yet turned his blade toward them, instead using them as a proving ground for Rikuo.
But now, that power seemed to have slipped beyond control.
If the baboon truly had been assassinated, then the Nura Clan might very well be the next target.
"It wasn't Tenjōin Yūto," Rikuo said firmly."If the baboon died last night, then Yūto couldn't have done it."
Though Rikuo was desperate to uncover the killer, he refused to cast blame lightly.
The baboon had died last night.
And coincidentally, the Seijūji Strange Detective Club had been investigating the Kidōin headquarters that same night.
Moreover, according to Hyōri and the others, after transforming, they had gone out and even crossed paths with Yūto again.
From a timing standpoint alone, Yūto couldn't be the culprit.
While the Nura Clan debated the identity of the murderer—
Elsewhere, Yūto and his companions received an unexpected visit.
A gray-haired boy in a school uniform arrived at the abandoned school building, his tongue hanging slightly from his mouth.
Behind him stood six figures with grotesque, unnatural appearances.
The boy's name was Inugami Tamaki.
A powerful curse-type yokai born from resentment and desire—an existence capable of killing humans through malediction alone.
At his side were six other infamous yokai:
The Sleeve-Bound Deity,The Hound Phoenix,The Crochet Woman,The Cliff Monk,The Night Sparrow,and the Handwashing Spirit.
Together, they called themselves the Seven Travelers.
Their purpose was simple.
To subjugate Yūto—and all yokai under the Oni-Tōin banner.
The legend of the Seven Travelers originated in Kagawa Prefecture.
It was said that encountering seven travelers walking together meant certain death.
Invisible to ordinary humans, they could only be seen by peering between a cow's legs—or by those born with movable ears. Animals, especially, sensed their presence instinctively.
Now, that ancient legend had taken tangible form.
The Seven Travelers were not natives of the Kantō region.
They were representative yokai from Shikoku, drawn to Tamaki's overwhelming spirit and strength, willingly swearing loyalty to him.
Their original goal in coming east had been to challenge the Nura Clan—the undisputed masters of the Hyakki Yagyō.
However, upon arriving in Ukiyo, Tamaki quickly realized something unsettling.
The sheer number of yokai under the Nura Clan's banner far exceeded his expectations.
The night before, while Nura Rikuo led the Night Parade to purge the surrounding area, Tamaki and the Seven Travelers had watched from the shadows.
After witnessing the overwhelming force of the Nura Clan, Tamaki admitted—if only privately—that his earlier plans had been reckless.
In terms of individual strength, Aotabō and Kurotabō were in no way inferior to his Seven Travelers.
As for himself, Tamaki had absolute confidence.
With the Demon King's Hammer in hand, he believed his combat power rivaled—even surpassed—Rikuo's.
From Tamaki's perspective, the top-tier strength on both sides was roughly equal.
But the Nura Clan held two insurmountable advantages:
Home territory—and sheer numbers.
Once an all-out war broke out, even parity at the top would mean nothing.
The Nura Clan could drown them in demons.
And yet, the Hyakki Yagyō from the previous night had given Tamaki a revelation.
Though the Nura Clan ruled Kantō, its yokai were far from united.
Many pursued fear without restraint, and the Nura Clan's rules only deepened their resentment.
That resentment… could be weaponized.
Though Tamaki had come to Kantō without his father's knowledge—bringing only seven yokai with him—
That didn't mean he couldn't recruit others.
Using Kantō's yokai to overthrow Kantō's ruler—
Wouldn't that prove his superiority as a leader?
With that plan in mind, Tamaki gave his first order.
Last night, he dispatched the yokai Whip to assassinate the baboon—a high-ranking Nura executive.
At the same time, he and the Seven Travelers split up, forcibly subjugating independent yokai factions unaffiliated with the Nura Clan.
Their progress was swift.
Though most of the yokai they recruited were weak, Tamaki didn't care.
Against the Nura Clan, a force of fewer than ten elites was laughably insufficient.
Even the weakest yokai could serve as cannon fodder—
Or, at worst, as nourishment for the Demon King's Hammer.
As their numbers grew, one name inevitably drew Tamaki's attention:
Oni-Tōin.
One of the strongest demon forces in the area.
Out of respect, Tamaki personally led the Seven Travelers to investigate.
And when he learned of the existence of the Demon Combat Academy, his interest deepened.
Many of the demons within it possessed strength far beyond his expectations.