Nurarihyon no Mago/ぬらりひょんの孫 1. Quandary

Disclaimer: I do not own the series_ it belongs to Hiroshi Shiibashi-sensei.

**Author Notes:**

**Well this is my first fiction ever posted on a website. As a newbie, I will only bother you experienced readers with the basics. The story's initial chapters are loosely based on the happenings after the first story of the first Light Novel. It is not necessary to have read it. T has been selected as the rating for possible gore. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Please, please rate and review.**

It was 1:00 am in the morning. Winds blew, water fell, lightning struck, clouds darkened. That was the blunt explanation of the forecast described by the Tokyo News anyway. As a person actually brought their heads outside the windows of their homes, they would notice how unfitting that flat description was. The sky was covered with Persian blue to smoky grey, quite hard to distinguish in the darkness. Every time the lightning struck, it seemed to rip the cloudy spread in half with the intensity of its glow and swiftness easily likened to a sword strike, only curlier. The rain was merciless, even to those with the best umbrellas walking along the soaked pathways, comparable to tap water in fact. Yet the sound of the droplets pelting down diffused very easily into the atmosphere, so much so, that to a certain shivering girl in a soaked tent, it was almost applause.

It was not the worst of her problems. Although looking at the brilliantly striking lightning should have been at least relatively, if not absolutely, harmless, it was even worse than giving her a headache from the brightness. She was reminded of an incident some months ago, where she had seen flames of that very same azure.

_They had at first been but a colossal circle, trapping the huge hairy form of her boss. His eyes popped in a mix of anguish and indescribable outrage and his screams were elaborating on his expression. Now, they flared up and started eating away at his fur, wrapping him in a curly coat of their own, which kept him so warm that the skin beneath too began to burn._

_A few minutes earlier, other anthromorphic rat underlings of his got their heads slammed against each other, producing a mini fountain of blood, while those of some popped off and burst due to a razor sharp, very tight, scarlet string being wrapped around their necks. Some of them were also unfortunate enough to be turned into ice sculptures, as a white, snow streaked wind crossed their paths. Those sculptures were sometimes shattered by spears and arrows being thrust into them with alarming speed, but otherwise these weapons were fired at warmer, more animate prey._

_She, not caring what her own punishment would be, had just hidden in a corner, watching the last moments of fellow underlings she had conversed with only minutes ago. She saw the roots: they could be called anything, perpetrators, predators or even performers as they carried out these acts with a victorious smile on their faces._

_The most haunting one of all was __**his **__smile. Alongside the struggling form of her affiliation's sworn enemy stood he, the leader of this attack. His deep burgundy eyes seemed to drink in the scene with as much pleasure as drinking a soothing catnip cocktail. She had blinked and rubbed her glasses to convince herself that she was not dreaming._

_After a few seconds, she saw that he was unperturbed, even bored by this large battle. She from then onwards had begun to wonder whether the red in his eyes was even natural for them or had they somehow become so because of the constant bloodshed they were forced to reflect for their owner turning into their fixed color. Because it had been from that incident, that she had started to research on this gourd haired ayakashi._

A loud ripping noise was still not enough to jerk her out of her reminiscing, the rumbling she was fixated upon, was far too great in volume. Yet anyone would notice hot, ragged growls of breathing on their head…

* * *

The claps of thunder were deafening and beyond that, hail soon accompanied the water, falling like pebbles all over Ukiyoe Town. Finally those outside were forced to accept that nature had outmatched them and retreated to whatever shelter they could improvise.

* * *

The next day, the sky was a flawless light cobalt blue, with only specks of the cottony shapes which had caused the chaos last night. It was almost as though trying to pretend that last night's havoc had never been wreaked.

It was thus not unexpected that the next day was bitterly cold and this also owed to the fact that winter had only begun to grace the town with its presence. Still it would not stop her from making her daily trip to the library. She cast a determined look at the cloudy grey sky, and then lowered her neck, not wanting to spare another glance at it. Her trembling was reminder enough of the weather. Although she had hoped that the 7 layers of clothing she wore underneath her citrine colored post office coat would help, but she had been hoping for 9 unyielding years. Simply because she intended to change one aspect of her routine did not mean it would change her whole day.

At least she would not have to run with her post bag over her head, like the last two raining days.

Sometime later, she was at the counter made of bronze colored terrazzo, pinning the signing register to it as her height was not even half of that of the counter and she had had to go around it to seize the record keeper. The room was huge and had a thick cobalt blue carpet at the sides and a polished white marble floor in the middle. Milky white walls surrounded it. The librarian was currently on a break but she had permission to sign in when she wanted.

She quickly, but neatly scribbled 'Hisako Murasaki' onto the column followed by her clock-in time. Sheltering her pen in her pocket again, she looked up at the security camera hung on the extreme right. It most likely reflected a highly displeasing sight: a three to four year old girl who looked like her face and all the visible tanned skin had both been burned and taken a hurling of undiluted sulfuric acid. Most of it was shrouded with scabbed, patched skin which was black, tinted with blood and rot. It was the same story with her arms except that the patches were longer. Black eyes looked through the injured mask. It was all framed by very frizzy, curly, platinum blond, hair in a high ponytail which was heavily streaked with what appeared to be soot, and bangs down to her chin were excluded from the ponytail.

Her purpose here was to do the usual study of Houjutsu and other mythological arts, make notes on it and practice on-the-desk meditation again. The library, in her opinion, was the only place that gave off this vibe. Taking out her notebooks from the bag which was supposed to be housing her mail, she laid them on the table and got to work. All the time she went over the descriptions of yin and yang, she was reminded of how betrayed she felt to discover who Abe no Seimei was. Legends had depicted him as a good person, yet only the ones who were true onmyouji and knew about the era in better detail could discern the truth. The mistake was also hers, to have read from so many different versions. Even though astronomical onmyoujutsu had not been on the top of her focus requiring topics, she had always harbored deep respect for that onmyouji who had done so much research, contributed so much.

She had a lot of respect for onmyouji in general and it had only gotten stronger once her own affiliation was taken out by the Kantou's Nura Clan of youkai. Granted, this clan had done this to save two people: a human and an onmyouji, they had not paused to consider the consequences of their decision, simply breaking, entering and killing. She called it barbaric, especially from a 500 year old clan which had been intending to punish its former allies and had hoped that the onmyouji, who had been saved, did something about the rather arrogant attitude of these Yakuza. It was not fair, she was wishing that the onmyouji would fight her battle for her, as, ever since the Keikain had found out the reason for this action, she had become allies and had no personal reason to rebel against this group.

She was a child and acting like one. Yakuza were supposed to have attitude. By wishing they had been more considerate, she was wishing they did not exist as such.

But what could she on the other hand do? It was not like facing a group of enemies lustful of her blood, which she never won easily against and always ended up running, this was an entire Yakuza group. She would, Hisako grudgingly thought, be much above her rank to simply glimpse one or two members of the main house being sent to deal with her. She may have lived nine or ten years but along with the many problems that had been embossed into her being, her mental and physical age refused to advance.

Even though the Keikain were now allies with the Nura, she would still respect them: this was the only thing she was sure of.

This was not what she would call, a thought fit for initiative.

Rather than rebellion however, she had tried to join the ones who lived on Ukiyoe's First Street, but after hearing her former affiliation, the fusuma had been slid shut on her. Thereafter she had tried every day to get accepted but to no avail. So now she was unwelcome for both the rats and the cats, most of said rats being in a plain she would have to slit her throat to get to. But she had always been unwelcome with them_ it was now merely part of the past that had tainted her trustworthiness forever.

Today would be different. Today would make it her 100th attempt, the 100th day she had tried this. And since she meant to bring nothing but favor (for the time being) to the Bakeneko Clan, luck would work for both parties. It could be both, logic based on the 100 being an important number for the Nura clan, or simply her frustration making her delusional.

Now she was being a plagiarist. Fate seemed to have decided any of her chances today at all. For, had it not been the appearance of a certain someone who took advantage of the noise of thunder last night, she would never have been this optimistic. Prudence was essential. She ought to remember it was not her own brilliance at work here.

Still she was brimming with confidence about her chances and her plan, although devoid of her previous politeness, would give them an illustration of her intentions.

Albeit being dressed as a postage girl, she normally went around in this getup minus the cap which she had crammed into her coat pockets. The frizzy haired blonde got up and tidied up the reading room's desk in a rush. Then she slung her satchel over her shoulder again and went to sign out.

Outside she spent two hours of the day delivering postage to the residents of Ukiyoe. As usual, she went on foot, using one form of onmyoudo she derived based on the style of Haigo Keikain. Someone like her with pathetically weak muscles desperately needed it. The Idoro Style with which Haigo had utilized Yang force to increase his speed and strength was done absolutely no justice in his fight as it had only taken a few seconds for the Kitsune to win. She practiced the Idoro Style in its modified version of an onmyoudo style of her own she constantly studied and worked to perfect. With this and her yokai aura working together she charged her feet after collecting and building up Yang force to run faster or kick off from the ground and travel like a yokai ninja.

Once she was done, evening was quite near and she felt the need to again check on the sky. It was a cobalt hue now with grayish black and simply grey clouds seeming to congregate for another shower. Her only hope, now that the one of facing a storm free night was crushed, was that it was not as brutal.

Nervousness could make a one mile walk seem very short.

_Today _will_ be different_, she thought.

* * *

The cobalt hues had now begun to be replaced by deep indigo. The night seemed not as cloudy as the day_ some stars were able to twinkle to life. She saw it as a sign of hope as she traveled to her destination.

The road and sidewalk were empty although it was not that late. She looked back and front repeatedly, pushing her glasses up her sweaty nose as she did so. And repeatedly was she forced to remind herself that she had not the kind of sixth sense that would enable her to determine whether she had been followed. The assumption still seemed to correspond with the notion of common sense, however so she quickened her pace.

Hisako eagerly took in her surroundings the moment she got in, even though she had seen them over a hundred times. There were brick red walls all around with a few circular lanterns hanging in. The lamps all had a crimson glow and gave the whole place a violet feel. The walls were bound by thin wooden slabs which formed borders and notices plus posters were pinned on them.

She rapped on the fusuma and waited. Exhaling to keep herself occupied, she looked behind her nervously and right then it opened and a female bakeneko with sunny blond hair and cocked ears answered the door. A look of disdain crossed the maiden's face and she gritted her fanged teeth. The three-year-old could hear ruckus of celebration and enjoyment from inside which the sliding door had surprisingly been able to muffle.

"It's one thing to not being able to take a hint but haven't we already spelled it out a dozen times? N-E-V-E-R! Now get out!"

"N-E-V-E-R!" the frizzy blonde yelled, "This day I ask what I hath not dareth to before. I ask thee," she then pointed a finger at the purple kimono clad waitress in a medieval manner, "Doest thou prefer I assist the survivor of thine rival in resurrection of his clan?"

The bakeneko's brown slit-pupil eyes widened and her teeth drew apart as her mouth opened a little.

"Or formerly," the little girl went on to press her advantage, "Doest thou think thine rival hath been vanquished?"

"STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!" her fangs are back to grinding at each other again and her pupils dilated. The blonde flinched but without surprise. Her sage like manner was the best for provoking her enemies mostly because it was great at bringing the effect of a seemingly critical realization, even if said realization was quite trivial.

"Please let me in," the blonde complied humbly and lowered her head, "It is not simply a question of whether or not you trust me anymore," her strategy at conversation had backfired spectacularly.

In her head the hearer was supposed to ask 'what do you mean?' and she would give a summary but all the time for that now seemed like it would be spent just getting to that stage. Prolonged contact for both human and yokai with her was deadly for her life, again, one of the many misfortunes carved into her destiny.

The waitress looked behind herself in vexation. She was not attracting attention from customers but other bakeneko were looking curiously at her. Some of them gave her looks of disapproval or questioning, which was understandable as the evening hour had begun and more yokai would soon be coming through the door. It would be best not to keep holding it and further taint the reputation of the restaurant.

Quite tactfully, in the platinum blonde's opinion, the sunny blond female had led her into the storeroom, past the chatter of many yokai lightheartedly eating, drinking and shouting. She had to work a little to avoid stepping on anybody else's hand, foot, claw or tentacle and avoided the Hi no Tama who were laughing their heads off for a reason best known to themselves.

"The boss is pretty busy at the back for now. Start talking before I change my mind or he comes back," the knuckles of both hands came to rest on her thick, Byzantium colored obi beautifully decorated with lilac roses.

"In the same manner that you think I was sincere to Kyuso, one of the rats tore up my tent last night. I was ordered to do things that would, in collaboration with him enable their fear to once again be strengthened and for them to gain followers. I think this person was not alone in this conspiracy and he has not lost the motive of taking over the Nura Clan

'Tis in your best interest to keep me here rather than join them otherwise you could be blamed if I am forced to take part. I will honestly do my best, please, and I need to affiliate with a clan soon!" she said very quickly and then huffed at the floor.

"I don't know. First off, you already know we've believed you to be a spy," the expression on the waitress' face was not softened, "Secondly, this isn't an orphanage and you're only going to drive customers away or attract questions. Thirdly, if you're that WEAK and NEEDY," she twisted her tongue to make the words heard in a horrible mock child-like voice, "then it isn't going to matter if you do join them 'cause you won't increase their chances, just like the last time. Oh we all better give in, Mormoi is involved in this! You can threaten or beg us but it isn't going to work out."

She bent down and grabbed her shoulder. MURASAKI got hauled off, grating the floor with her feet as she struggled to draw breath properly. This much proximity and it would only be about 25 seconds before this bakeneko developed that murderous intent.

Fortunately and not so fortunately she found herself crashing onto the roka, thrown from the fusuma which was shortly slammed shut. She slid a few feet forward until friction intervened. Then she remained limp, both from the impact and the further crashing of her brilliant plan and formerly newfound confidence. Had her desperation made her delusional? Or, as it was the 100th time, the circumstances would still favor the Nura, NOT her and perhaps this was good for them but she had been thinking otherwise.

That aside, what was she to do? She had been followed here, no, she was confident her movements had been followed since last night. Now that she had been rejected from Bakenekoya for the 100th time **they** would no doubt murder her too. As in their perception she was far more human than yokai, it was only fitting that their 'generous' self control be rendered unneeded, replaced by bloodthirst.

Now she was a third party, worth nothing to the Bakeneko and by extension, the Nura Clan, an enemy for the remaining Kyuso clan, unaffiliated and considered a lowlife with no better things to do. Maybe a tiny ragdoll like herself should have just stayed in her tent and make toys out of paper or do origami, she contemplated in disgust.

It was too late for it now. She was 100% sure the rats had watched her come here. Quite apart from her own actions being the cause of her predicament, she was willing to pin the origin, still on the clan. She had nothing to lose anymore besides her job as the postage girl, yet living solely as a human was hardly an option either. She could not affiliate with her former clan, nor with the enemy clan or with any other clan as numerous customers went in and out of Bakenekoya and were sure to be familiar with her face if nothing else. And who would keep a mixed breed like herself anyway? The third heir of the Nura Clan only got his title because of his inheritance.

She had lost a lot more than she could have accounted for ten minutes ago. Was there no path for redemption then? Dragging her disappointed, sorry self out of the eatery's door she strayed idly on the road, wondering when the rats would reveal themselves.

_This is how fate can turn the most innocent of people into criminals_, she thought as she fumbled in her bag for her weapons.

Had she pulled out a staff, she would have looked like a cosplayer to the average pedestrian but she was very glad there was no one to comment when she pulled out an enormous sheathed claymore, over three times her size out of her postage bag and looked up at the sky, meanwhile taking a backward wide stance. Redemption aside, she would make sure the Nura Clan realized what they had done to someone who had once been willing to help them and seek refuge, if nothing else.

She would make sure her name was cleared.


	2. Incentive

Disclaimer: I do not own the series.

_In a brightly lit street past and besides the ever-so-familiar yokai eatery, there was a rush of people going past. Accompanying it was the buzz of chattering as humans who were blissfully unaware of what had just happened here went about their nightly business._

_There was another club in this district, which she did not like to stay around. Children her age were not even supposed to know that it existed. The reason it was here at all in running condition was again, due to the defeat of the Kyuso Clan. Another reason for her to best be off on her way without stopping._

_But something- or rather some people had pretty much forced her to. Wearing long dark coats which had small cape-like fabric sewn onto them from which the sleeves were shown, these two men looked ominous enough from the back. But from the side when the damage they had done was clearly visible, Hisako found herself shivering._

_"One more down," the shorter one of the two said._

_His head of straight, orderly, yet pointed hair turned to his partner: the auburn headed, significantly taller counterpart who nodded with an almost inaudible grunt and they both gave each other looks that indicated they were free to leave._

_Someone who looked highly like the sketches of Aotabo, the Strongest Member and Strike Team Leader of the Nura Clan she had seen, was sprawled on the floor on his front._

_At the same time she saw this, someone walked behind the two men but still quite far from them. She was able to tell immediately that this was the real Aotabo. Cobalt blue sleeves, brick red skin, tentacles of white hair, (she quickly hitched on her glasses), the trademark skull beads, in comparison to the now much different looking downed yokai. The one on the ground was not the respected member of the Nura clan, she had thought him to be: his air simply did not match the confident air of someone who had so easily punched his way through hordes of anthromorphic rats. For further convincing, his actions coincided._

_When he lifted his head a little, she also saw that he was balder and had browner hair._

_"H-Help me… please help me," he uttered in a cracked, defeated voice and raised his right hand as much as he apparently could. The fingers trembled in the air before falling limply on the ground._

_"Who are you?" the blue clad yokai asked the two standing composedly before him, "What did you do?"_

_"Well now," the shorter one spoke with an air of being casually surprised, "It's another one."_

_His partner grunted in affirming._

_At that moment, when she focused her attention away from the ebony haired man's back, she saw that the Strike Team Leader was surrounded by ofuda at the upper part of his body._

_The auburn haired young man whipped out another ofuda, his gloved hand beginning to crackle with yellow lightning._

_"Destroy," he whispered._

_Aotabo got hit with the right-on-the-mark talisman and was blasted off his feet. With a loud crash, his figure tore through a bronze colored billboard. As the brown, hazel colored smoke emerged from the debris, Hisako did not wait any longer and stole her chance._

_When it seemed that the two attackers (or defenders) were far enough, she quickly jogged towards the figure and found his brown arms which were thinner than she expected them to be, injured by burning. It had been either a lightning or an acidic jutsu. Fire would have left it more blackened._

_"O-O-Oi, y-you're that-" his face moved upwards and she quickly skidded sideways to hide her own._

_She was in her human form, and attempting to pretend to be ignorant. Alas, she was somewhat mentioned around here by gossipers or idle people who had nothing better to do._

_His slightly lifted face also showed some fried skin although it was less severe than what she spotted on his clothes. And she also realized that this was not the respected member of the Nura clan, she had thought him to be, his face simply did not match the confident air in the sketch. He was also balder, she found upon closer inspection._

_"K-Kurosaki," he then stuttered and groaned._

_To show her very slight irritation, she grabbed hold of one hand which was on his side and the other arm, charged the amount of Yang force equal to her irritation and gritting her teeth, she yanked his hurt form up straight. He let out a howl but seemed to understand that he had to be silent._

_"MURASAKI!" she hissed and then quickly ran away from him, before the closure reengaged the curse on her destiny. Off she went to watch the battle, coming closer to the front now that everybody else was out of the dark corner._

_The one who had used lightning style was now rushing towards the blue monk who was now braced on his knees and drenched with water. And she could now guess from the yellow lightning crackling on the onmyouji's hand that it was not just a humiliation shower._

_"This is the Keikain style," the ebony haired partner said with a smug smile on his face._

_They had not used something like this with the lookalike Aotabo. Clearly they knew who they were dealing with._

_" "Shikigami Fusion" " the three year old and the young man declared at the same time._

_The tentacle haired yokai let out a loud howl and then collapsed to the ground. The orange haired onmyouji, she noticed, had eyes which matched the yellow of his lightning._

_Then after the debut appearance of the actual Ryuji and Mamiru Keikain, she had seen that it was not only she who included lightning in Houjutsu. Nor was it completely alien to onmyoudo, not if a shikigami with this power was used._

_She had continued following them for a while now, discreet and was confident they could not sense any yokai aura from her. They were nearing a train station and she followed them while taking the tree sided route of the path. What she would gain from this excursion, she was hoping, would be getting to see them take on more yokai._

_Tonight had to be when a twig chose its presence specifically for her inconvenience. She tripped in the darkness and thudded onto the ground. The fact that she weighed six times someone her age did not help any chances of this going ignored._

_"Who's there?" a sharp voice came from the sidewalk she was 6 meters from. She did not know their actual names at the time, but could tell that it belonged to the raven haired person._

_Struggling to her feet, she backed away while in a crouching position, wishing she had been a Nurarihyon, much to her chagrin. But then her back hit something wet. It was a wet stream she could feel and it dampened her coat heavily in only a few seconds._

_Tremblingly turning around, she identified it as a Kekkai barrier of water. These types were rare. Had it not been for the ripples, she may not have been able to distinguish between it and the greenery behind her. Specifically meant for surprising the enemy and confusing their perception, rather like yokai who disguised themselves as a glass wall to prevent prey from escaping, she had rarely seen them in action before._

_Hisako resisted the urge to slap herself. She had actually been on the verge of taking out her notebook to record this. She was in danger, even if these onmyouji identified her as a human, there was after all a motive for her pursuit of them and she did not believe they would consider it innocent._

_"Garou," she heard the onmyouji say._

_There was no time to think about it. A battle was unneeded, not to mention totally mismatched. She may not have to spend valuable spiritual energy reserves and instead worsen her already poor health, but for tonight it was worth it. So, quickly fumbling in her bag, she took out a B trumpet and took a deep breath._

_A loud roar told her that the shikigami had nearly been summoned. As it was to materialize instantly near her, judging by the way he had aimed his cylinder and blue fluid shaped as similar to a wolf and was rampantly drawing nearer, she had only 5 seconds._

_A much louder sound of a performing elephant was heard throughout the district. It sounded as though it was trying to see just how loud and melodiously it could trumpet._

_The shikigami Garou whose fluid had turned violet was scattered into streams of water as vibrations from the sound sent sonic waves which were white colored rings. Three of these passed through the unstable form of the liquid and it dissolved into trickles that then retreated to where their master was._

_This amount of surprise ought to do. The frizzy blonde ran off as fast as she could, smacking her chest as she did so, the trumpet still swinging at her sides. The very reason she tried to avoid this type of confrontation was because the buzzing and bass affected her too. Thus she had ended up with little breath and a severe headache._

_These onmyouji were too good. Not caring whether the pursuer had been a yokai at all, they had released their potential and that alone ingeniously, to say nothing of the amount of it she had seen._

_She would not forget these members of the Keikain._

* * *

She had indeed learnt quite a lot from that encounter, but now she saw that she had wasted some of the surprise that could have been instilled in her enemies. Not only were her current enemies unworthy of this much preparation but now they had already seen it fit to retreat. Plus, although what they had seen of her weapon had only been wavy reflection of what it had been present in front of and bubbles being held in her hand, they seemed to have realized that there was a reason she had just tried to stress her usefulness to the Bakeneko clan. This much she had deduced from how wide their eyes had become and how in the past they had managed to convey significant intel through just loitering in the places. She mused in frustration how rats who were not even anthromorphic and only had yellow slit pupil eyes and ferocious claws to be called monsters (and slightly bigger size) could have that much intelligence.

Not satisfied enough to put her sheathed, cloaked blade back in her satchel, she slung it on her back and cast wary looks around. Clearly, they had only intended to threaten her as it was, for the moment at least. An ambush might await her but it would not be right in front of the yokai gambling den. Considering how she had visualized herself as a kitchen helper or a fellow waitress for these cats, her rejection meant she had a whole lot of undesirable free time. Getting her name cleared was fine for a goal but she needed planning and her temporary tent was now a lost option for shelter.

"Rikuo Nura-sama…" she growled, clutching her skull with both hands, "You have ruined my life…"

Panicking in earnest now as that statement did but bring a stream of contradictions and ridiculing in her head, she began to walk to the residential area of First Street. Think, she told herself. If the Bakeneko clan had only lengthily yelled at her to stay away at her 100th try, the Nura Clan would probably just ignore her and keep the door shut. Step one, get them to notice her and take the matter of her involvement with Kyuso directly to the highest ranked person she could hope to reach. She would look at the consequences later. And it would be best not to do it tonight because the Third Head's subordinates, as she had heard from some of the chattering yokai inside, were at the gambling section with Ryota Neko.

Suddenly she clapped her hands in realization, a big smile spreading on her burned face. It was so obvious, she could easily get to that institution, in fact she was surprised she had not already traded shifts at the post office. Since she could go tonight without sleeping, being part yokai, she decided to spend it making arrangements. Neither the Kyuso, nor the Nura would know what happened.

* * *

"Yes sir," she squeaked up at the manager's desk about half an hour later.

It was made out of highly polished, gleaming oak. The room had a glass door and at the khaki colored walls behind the desk, in glossy gold metallic letters it read 'Management Quarter'. She stood after rubbing her canvas shoes vigorously at the entrance, on a soft thick blue carpet, unable to see her other boss's face.

"Alright, so tomorrow, you're free to take Tasumi's midday shift but this better not lower your efficiency in the afternoon ones," he consented, in a booming voice.

She was glad she could not see him.

"Sir," she affirmed with a bow and then proceeded to jog out of the office.

Next stop would be made a few hours after dawn where she would convince another management to let her help them. Although since this was a foreign organization, negotiating to make herself a replacement, even if for one day, would be tough. If only there was a newspaper advert to help her support her case!

She then decided to head to the library, although it would be closing in a few hours. But they had surveillance cameras. She intended to stay human. Any fight would be recorded, even if one-sided. People would be alerted, especially as that would be the time when the Sanba Garasu went on patrol. Kyuso yokai had become more analytical since their defeat. All equaled her safety.

* * *

Back at Bakenekoya, the blond waitress met with her clan leader Ryota Neko led by Saburo Neko away from where all the customers were dining. He looked very tired, which was to be expected by the amount of gambling matches he had gone through to try to beat a cheater. She decided to inform him of the menace's reappearance rather than bother him with it when he was relaxed.

"Boss, she came here again today," she announced in a low voice, clutching the silver dish she was holding to her chest.

Saburo Neko looked at her in disbelief while the one he was helping remained moderately expressionless.

"Don't worry. I gave her a proper talking-to this time. I don't think she'll come again," the waitress hurried to add.

"Wonder why she wants work here so badly. It just goes to show that she might have something else to do here," the yellow wearing ayakashi commented.

"Whatever the reason, I'm not taking any risks. We already know she had some pretty important background role in the Kyuso Clan and now that they're gone, she wants to infiltrate here. Anyway, forget it, if she comes tomorrow I'll deal with her," the top Bakeneko declared in an even lower voice, straightening his bandana with one hand.

"You're right Boss. I've heard that girl is not even a quarter ayakashi, so she's bound to have had something that gave her an edge," his male underling joined and the female one nodded.

They had been told by her repeatedly that all she had had to provide them with an asset was above average knowledge of onmyouji and intelligence collection on the Nura Clan. Although it did fit considering how well she knew them, they were positive she had had other roles and even if it was not so, there could be an innumerable amount of more sinister reasons she would want to get work here.

"Are the ones from the Main House gone now?" the blonde asked the two raven haired yokai.

"Yeah, they just left, that's why Boss decided to listen," he answered with a grin, squeezing the shoulder which wore a striped blue haori.

* * *

She hoped she was not wrong in knowing that the young master of the clan was about to turn 14 and was in the middle of the eighth grade. His subordinates, given the amount she knew of them were not in the same class. They were in ninth.

Gathering up her notebooks from which she had been making notes while sitting on the stairs of the public library, she got up. The clouds this morning reminded her of indigo watercolor spilled on a cerulean cloth the way their pink tinted curves scattered around the purplish sky. They rather sparsely populated it and she sighed, also hoping that the rainy series was on a long break.

Her post office certificate copy ought to serve as a qualification list for temporary employment and wishing that her confidence was not once again crushed, she made use of the highly concentrated energy she had built up last night to kick off from the ground. The advantage in using more saturation rather than her regular 24/7 stores was less exhaustion. She would hurriedly round up her shifts as a substitute and then leave for her true destination for today.

"M-May I come in, sir?" she politely asked following a knock on the white shoji of the office of Rio Kitamura, the principal of Ukiyoe Middle School.

"Enter," came a voice that sounded a little irritated. Of course, he probably had just come in.

She cautiously slid the door open and bowed, regardless of whether or not he was looking at her. He did however catch her straightening up.

"Ohayou gozaimasu. My name is Murasaki and I am from the national post office. I will be bringing mail here today," she squeaked while he was adjusting his coat.

There was a PC monitor on his glossy copper desk, a notice board pinned with numerous sheets behind him that she would have to consult and there were leather couches all over, save for the front of the desk where two black stools sat. There was also a low shelf in which piles and piles of files were kept.

"The mail is collected by the accounts department," he remarked, settling himself in a brown leather swivel chair which now seemed roomier than before.

"Yes sir. I also came here because I wanted to, temporarily of course, be granted the honor of teaching Mathematics to the students here," she said quickly, yet clearly and braced herself.

"Aren't you a little young?" now that he turned his face towards her, his black eyebrows raised, she saw that he had black orderly hair in a wavy hair cut, fair skin and wore an olive green coat.

"Y-Y-Yes sir, from looks! B-But I can give you proof of my qualifications and I need the teaching experience for my new CV. You don't need to give me anything more than a chance, please sir!" she squealed, reduced to panicking. How had she been more relaxed in front of the anthromorphic cat?

He stretched out a hand on his desk as though asking for something. Hisako realized that he probably was and hurriedly took out the certificate which was covered in an acetate sheet. He took it and then held it close to his face, one arm braced against the comfortable support of his chair.

She waited tensely for a minute or so. The next question may be regarding whether this was all fake or not although it had government signatures on it. But to her surprise no such question came.

"Alright. One day it is and you don't get paid. Kazuna already said she wouldn't mind a break so on that shelf in the blue folder, there's a list of syllabi that are taught in this school. Take it and go through it," he ordered, putting the acetate sheet down.

The three year old blinked. That was it? No more questions, no comments, no warnings, no nothing? With trembling hands she took back the sheet and went to the folder he had indicated.

"Am I allowed to take this with me sir?" she asked with it in hand.

"Return it at the end of your job," he answered, now starting to work on something displayed at the screen.

"Oh and sir, one more request," she hesitatingly asked, begging the heavens that this was not considered going too far. He did not prompt her so she went on.

"Would it be doable not to announce my recruitment please? I fear the students might try-"

"Fine," he cut her off, not looking away.

"Thank you sir," she huffed in relief and then hurried out of the office.

* * *

A while later, on the balcony of the school, sitting on two benches were seven students, gazing up at the one standing, who were (or at least some of them were) known as the Kiyoujuji Paranormal Patrol. The wavy haired young man after which this group was named had a look of unstoppable enthusiasm on his face.

"Alright, we've got two free periods today. You all know what that means!" Kiyotsugu Kiyoujuji exclaimed, bumping a fist into the air, the other palm seating a laptop.

"How could we not?" his once loyal supporter, Jirou Shima sighed tiredly.

"First of all, how do we know they're free again?" the blond female of the group, Saori Maki inquired disbelievingly, folding her arms.

"Miss Hatsumi is not going to be coming today," the leader explained confidently.

"Even so, you can't treat us like we won't be doing anything else. We do have lives," the right hand companion of the blond, the dark green haired Natsumi Torii complained, "Right, Kana?"

The hazel eyed, brown haired Ienaga Kana sitting at her other side blinked, clearly not having paid attention.

"Huh? O-Oh, righ-"

"WHAT? You can't pass up this opportunity! I just got-" she was loudly cut off by the forceful proclamations of the group leader, who was waving his hand at them.

Just then, the door from which they had come up to the balcony opened and a spiky brown haired, large student by the name of Kurata came in. He wore a cobalt blue shirt and a skull bead necklace.

"Oikawa," he called in a deep voice, looking at the frost and navy haired girl in the group, Tsurara Oikawa, "It's time for our class,"

"What?" her indigo eyes widened and everyone else looked at the student too, "Miss Hatsumi wasn't here today. You said so," she directed at Kiyotsugu.

"I don't know what's going on but we have to get there," he insisted although the way his hands plunged into his black pockets showed reluctance.

Saori Maki took her chance along with Jirou Shima and Natsumi Torii to stare accusingly at Kiyotsugu.

"So," she said while the perplexed Oikawa walked to the door with her classmate, "There may not be a free period at all and you happily took my only five minutes of peace before classes start," her voice become dangerously low.

"Now look here, I-" the addressed leader raised a hand in protest, laughing awkwardly.

The two departing students sighed and closed the door.

* * *

To the seniors, it was really a shocking 40 minutes they spent at their first class. Everyone had known that the Math teacher Kazuna Hatsumi was likely taking a day off due to having been in charge of taking the juniors to a field trip and had expected it to be a while of well-deserved relaxing. Thus they had looked forward to the prospect of having some free periods before some of the atrocious ones.

It was displeasing when they had heard that very morning to go to their Math class while they had blissfully been chatting in groups, boys and girls alike. Sullenly they had complied, some of them bunking, thinking that it was probably a lame substitute teacher to force them to stay and study by themselves, acting as the supervisor. Others had merely regarded it as a chance of entertainment, to torment the newbie teacher if they tried to enforce discipline.

As they had filed in the room, they had noticed a bushy haired, very small bespectacled girl who was clearing away some papers from the teacher's desk. Before they could start to comment amongst themselves about what a preschooler was doing in a High School, the little girl spoke up,

"O-Ohayou gozaimasu," she bowed a little and her face was revealed to be burns, bruises and patches. What they could discern of her expression, those who mastered their disgust, found nervousness. The boys blinked rapidly and the girls drew back in horror.

"I will be your new Mathematics instructor until the institution's current one returns to her job tomorrow. Kindly take your seats. I know of your syllabus and will be resuming where respected Miss Hatsumi left," she reeled off in a squeaky voice.

Most of the students had dumbfounded looks on their faces. Then they blinked when they realized they had been told to sit down _by a toddler_. The bushy haired blonde did not wait. The administration had expected a negative reaction from the students and instructed her to call the coordinator if they did not listen. So she picked up an extremely long piece of chalk to compensate for her height and wrote the heading of today's lesson.

"We will be beginning exercise 7.4 today. This is the last exercise of the topic left and after this we can move on to the extension syllabus."

Her own textbook was already open and she had begun to write up questions from it. Realizing that she might just be serious, the students obliged and took their seats. Most of them had plans to humiliate her and see if she would cry. Some were already thinking that she may not be as young as she seemed, only a teacher who just had not grown. But the idea was so ridiculous that they pushed it out of their minds.

However none of that actually worked in helping them escape one of the longest Mathematics lessons ever. Before actually starting to solve the questions, she had taken out the attendance register from under the teacher's desk and sat down in a smaller chair compared to the teacher's ones and called out their names. She had called them out two times to confirm whether students had deliberately lied or not. Then after closing the register, she saw students talking amongst themselves. Helpfully, at that moment, the principal Rio Kitamura had arrived and officially introduced her as the new teacher with no comments on her age or appearance. He had audibly announced her right to report to him if anyone tried to cause trouble. And after that he had left, leaving the students awestruck. She had started to solve questions on the board and asked them to try ones that were similar to those she explained. Even when the students deliberately tried to take longer, she wrote down the solutions on the board and randomly requested one student to explain as much as they could to the class, equally randomly stopping them amidst it and choosing another one to finish or correct the mistakes in their statements. Those who came out blank, she had asked to turn back and read the chapter from the beginning so she could sort out their problems after the class. Through this time, she had not reprimanded the students for behavior, almost as though punishing them by forcing them to learn more. And it had continued that way until she let them off early after 36 minutes of calculations. The 4 minute margin had been left so she could deal with the three who had been found to not paying attention. She gave them a question similar to the one they had been lost at and after explaining the concept to all of them, one had been free to go.

"So in order to tighten your grip fully," she lectured, securing her glasses more firmly while Kurata stared blankly at his notebook, "I would recommend you go through these solutions once more. Oikawa-san, the same kindly applies to you," she then turned to the white skinned girl, ignoring the look of pure disdain by not looking at her at all, "Thank you and have a good day," she then nodded at both of them and went back to her desk.

With a look of further disbelief on both their faces, the two yokai in disguise exited the room via the white shoji and Hisako sighed with excitement. She had just been teaching Aotabo, the actual Strike Team Leader, _polynomials._ And what was more, neither of them had discovered what she really was. They had also not noticed an invisible blade on her back (which was not meant to be noticed and not a cause for celebration anyway).

She had only known of these two underlings who accompanied the young master to school and her true motive for scraping out as much of the class's inattention was to see if there were any others.

It would soon be _his _turn to be her student. The next class was of the eighth graders and took place after a little while. During this time, she decided to drop by the administration and collect the signatures for the post service they were to sign.

* * *

"Seriously," the Yuki Onna in disguise rubbed her head with both hands as she walked beside her classmate, past classrooms to the balcony, "We already have last night's threat to deal with, and now this."

"Wonder who that girl is anyway-" unlike her, Aotabo was only scratching his head, and was cut off.

"_Don't_…" she hissed, breathing out a real freezing mist, "…talk to me about her. She's obsessed! We didn't need to go through all that. Look at how much it distracted us! We could have been keeping a lookout! Why did you have to call me to class?" she started blaming him for her headache.

Kurata looked indignant. His mouth opened lopsidedly in astonishment.

"Hey wait! I was just-"

"Whatever. Master's is in his own class. I'm going out right now to check if there's anyone here who shouldn't be," she huffed pompously and went ahead of him in climbing the stairs, her aquamarine bag banging on her thighs.

"Yep, she just couldn't handle it," her companion grunted behind her and followed.

* * *

With the rest of their classmates already gone, Saori Maki and Natsumi Torii went into their class, one complaining all the way and the other one nodding submissively.

"I'll slay Kiyotsugu if he tries to get us after school!" she hammer fisted her palm in rage.

"One day of no lessons is no big deal. Why did they have to get a replacement?" Natsumi moaned to the air and brushed her silky bangs off of her cheek.

When they entered the classroom, most of the students were already taking their seats. Saori's brown-gold eyes immediately fell over to the platinum blonde pony-tailed hair, which was streaked with soot. The girl lifted her face to look at them and the honey blond girl froze, her eyes wide.

Her best friend's cat like eyes were also fixed on her as she announced, "Saori Maki, Natsumi Torii," and looked down to make the entry in the attendance register.

"Um, yuck," she breathed flatly to her cat eyed friend, who gave a single nod. Then they both went forward and took their seats, which were the farthest ones from their 'teacher' as they could get.

Having already filled the blackboard with drawings prepared for the class, she then resumed the lecture on Higher Functions, with the graphs of functions drawn on one side as a sample whereas she used the other one to do workings. And like her previous classes, these students were in for it whenever they had a blank look with gazes somewhere else. She immediately pointed the white rod at Jirou Shima,

"Could you please repeat the concept of reciprocal functions where 'a' is greater or less than zero?" she trailed off, not directly looking at him. She was looking at the board instead.

"Uh, I," he stared at the board where a/x 0 was written. The graph was drawn right next to it. So he decided to give it a shot, his thoughts slipping away from the conversation he had had with Tsurara Oikawa this morning.

"Well, when 'a' is bigger, the graph starts from the right doesn't it? And when it's smaller, it starts from the left,"

"Yes, precisely. It is easier to remember this as a rule when you are asked to identify graphs. Thank you Shima-san,"

He huffed very slightly in relief. As Hisako continued explaining the rules, she one by one caught others' attention by pointing at them too. Kana Ienaga was next as her eyes had stayed on the brown hair of the person before her for a moment.

"Ienaga-san, May I ask you to please identify the best method for uncovering the intersection of this linear and quadratic function? You are free to side by the graphical or algebraic approach, but your view must be defended on a practical argument,"

On the board now, was a quadratic function drawn with two lines, intersecting it at different places. It was tough to see which one of those straight lines was present in the question which she had marked with a question mark otherwise, she had just said the solution would be easy.

"Um, I," started Kana, wondering if the obvious answer she had in mind was foolish, because it did not seem that way to her, "I think we should solve those equations on our own. I mean, we don't know which one of them is up there on the graph, right? So it would be easier,"

"Yes exactly. Though the difference in opinion mainly depends on the speed of derivation, the best and accurate method is indeed the one you described Ienaga-san. Would you please explain why this method is the best, Keikain-san?"

Hisako had immediately whacked the question mark over to Yura Keikain, inwardly feeling greatly honored as she glanced at the ebony haired, onyx eyed girl who was looking focused, because her order of selection was quite random. The onmyouji's eyes widened very slightly when the inquiry was tossed over to her.

"Yes. I think this method is the best because the graph does not show their proper locations even if we do find out which line has what equation," she answered fluently. The answer was after all, obvious.

"Spot on, Keikain-san. So by equating these functions, we substitute y for its value in terms of x, and gather the terms…."

Up till now the difficulty of her random questions had been growing subtly and she was still asking them about small details which students could overlook. She assigned one student to do the calculations, another one, namely Yura to tell her the factorization terms, and left the equation almost finished. She then requested that the rest be solved by them alone and to say the answers out loud, whoever solved it first.

Hisako was now walking around her desk looking for the blank faced ones, so immersed in the workings that she almost forgot why she had looked so forward to this class. The boy who answered her question first reminded her of it.

"X equals 4 and Y equals 13," he spoke up, having solved it easily in less than a minute, she noted.

Brown hair straying over at one side to end in spikes and the bottom half being bistre colored. He wore glasses, with which in her opinion he mocked his superior eyesight. And he would be mocking a lot more if she did not pull herself together.

"Yes, correct, Nura-san and admiration at your speed. After this has been solved, I would request the class to attempt questions 14, 15 and 17 up till part iii and have descriptions of the reasoning audibly explained. Thank you kindly," she announced, writing down the solution he had given.

At that point, once at least six students had accomplished this task her questions became much more technical as she pinned them for their logic on pronouncing certain functions as belonging to certain classes, and then their method of proving. Those who got it wrong were still complimented by her for looking at it with such and such perspective. It was easily the longest and busiest Mathematics class for all the students who had had to remain deeply involved until the end.

* * *

After school, when the bell rung signaling the end of the last class, Hisako went to the principal's office to give her report. When the principal asked how she had found the class's feedback, she replied it was quite good and that they could improve quickly.

Then she went outside and she was careful to hurry and be able to pass the Third Heir and his two underlings who had left the school gate. Now she was quite uncertain about her approach as she walked. She had forced them to notice her, yet…

"If they just burst out in white smoke," she heard the Yuki Onna whisper to her master.

"Who knows what else they could do," the blue monk added and the commander nodded.

The next fraction of movement required to make her progress never came and she lost her balance on the sidewalk. With a loud thud she hit the ground head first. A painful collision further below told her that her knees had followed and for a brief moment, she remained limp with the pain.

All three of them looked back and saw her weakly twitching from the impact. Then, Tsurara held out a hand in front of her Master Rikuo.

"If she sees us, she's just going to go on and on and on. It's not worth it. Besides it was just a fall," she breathed quickly, seemingly not moved.

The Second Heir and Third Head, looked at her in surprise.

"What's with you today?" he asked.

By this time the little girl had already got back to her feet and upon spotting them again, she seemingly did what the Yuki Onna had warned them off.

Had something happened in the mansion? Appearances in white smoke? No, that was not what surprised her; she had had her fair share of fighting those species that appeared in white smoke. They were the only ones she was completely merciless against, but what would they be doing meddling with yokai? If _that _part of Abe no Seimei's legend was also true then, no matter how reckless an act it may be, she had to say it.

"Rikuo-sama," she panted as soon as she got to them, making all of them grunt in surprise. Rikuo opened his mouth but before any of them could say a word back, she started again.

"Your disregard of the consequences of your raids- I swear you shall pay!" she shouted as irrepressible shock surged through her insides.

She pointed a scabbed, shaking finger at him and then swerved to one side and ran off. All thought of clearing her name was gone suddenly. A new matter had just come to light and it would soon be accelerating into a series of battles. Species which should never jointly exist were about to fight for their individual domination. She had always comforted herself by assuming that Hidemoto Keikain had not considered it in his battle plans, so it had to be a myth and the ones she fought were merely drawn by her misfortune, intangible to all else.

"Consult Ryota Neko for details!" she shouted over her shoulder so loudly that she began to cough. But she still kept running.

"Wha-What the-?" Kurata closed his half open mouth and said in amazement, "That girl's a yokai?"

"And she knows Ryota Neko!" the equally astounded female now kept looking at the running figure until she turned around a corner.

"'Disregard for consequences', " the 13 year old boy muttered in some confusion, also looking at the girl, "What does she mean by that? Do you think she knows something?"

"Maybe we should do as she just said and ask the Bakeneko clan. Let's stop by there on our way home," Aotabo decided and the other two nodded at him.

* * *

**Author Notes: This chapter is mainly about the OC's introduction for other canon characters and most of it is the build-up for the plot. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. I am also looking for a Beta Reader so anyone who can help, please do. **

**And also excuse me for going on about the OC so much, I intend to rectify that. **

**About Kiyotsugu's behavior, even though Rikuo's secret was exposed, I did not think he changed his fanatic attitude that much in the omake that followed, so I just replicated it.**

******Big thanks to all those who consider giving this rambling a chance and please, please Rate and Review.**


	3. Toxic Radiance

**A/N: Thoughts are not in italics this time. Those are occupied by flashbacks.**

_It was a rather bright beautiful night, a nice change from the stormy ones. A gorgeous spread of blackish-blue material, lit up with gleaming pearls, gleaming so brightly that it looked like the sun was diverting all its light on each one of them simultaneously. The clouds which sparsely populated the spread seemed like fluffy gray cushions for all of these pearls._

_Perhaps it was the sheer beauty of this night that it happened. The moon was abnormally bright and bigger, no cloud blocking its white light. For once the majestic Sakura tree in the Nura Clan's Main House seemed more white than pale pink, such was the intensity of the celestial bodies._

_Along with unusual brightness, there was abnormal silence. No crickets chirped this night, no fireflies or any other types of flies flew. At the peak of atypical silence was how winds blew and made the grass and leaves of the other trees, bushes, and the main plum majesty, sway, sometimes gently and sometimes forcefully, **yet**, not a single sound, not even the rustling could be heard. Breezes typically made mild howling or whistling sounds but they were disturbingly illusive to all who may want to listen to them. It was as though all the surroundings of the Nura Clan, Main House had been muted._

_The sound however, was present inside. While the young master's own six bodyguards and he had returned from Bakenekoya that night, all were preparing to turn in. It was already midnight and no one felt like talking very much. The two ladies, a 'waterfall' haired, emerald eyed brunette and the frost and navy haired maiden were going to their own room, yawning all the way there._

_"It sure is a lovely moon tonight," remarked the brunette, releasing her luscious brown waves from the red binds._

_Her companion nodded serenely and stepped off of the corridor. She went near the shade provided by the Sakura tree where moonlight torrents shone with a shape that suggested it was a spotlight. Her white kimono and furisode also became brighter with it. Then gold eyes turned to the silver ball and at that moment, her eyes widened in shock (very slightly considering they were already quite big) and her yellow pupils shrank._

_Kejorou saw her fellow aide immobile from her current position and suddenly vibrate. Unnerved, she stepped outside too, but before she could get much closer, the Yuki Onna made an odd choking noise. Then her unblinking eyes suddenly had their lids clamped on them and the owner gasped._

_"Yuki Onna?" the brunette, now alarmed took hurried steps towards her friend._

_The white skinned aide swerved away from the moonlight's path. With shaky steps, she edged nearer to the veranda and the green-eyed lady put both hands on her shoulders, listening to the other's breath coming out in shaky pants._

_"Are you alright, Yuki Onna?" she asked urgently, wondering if she even realized her presence._

_"T-There's…" a fair fist came near the gold eyed one's chin, and she opened her eyes, "…something's not right."_

_"What happened? All you were doing was looking at the moon!" pointed out the brunette, unable to suppress her curiosity._

_Tsurara gripped the hand on her shoulder._

_"Y-Yeah. The moon," she neared the porch gingerly, and sat down on the corridor, taking the brunette with her, "When I looked at it, I-I felt like something was trying to… you might not understand," she sighed, apparently in defeat, her orbs closing once more._

_Annoyed, Kejorou raised an eyebrow._

_"Don't give me that,"_

_The slightly huffing one, sighed._

_"My youki…it was like someone was trying to-"_

_"Absorb it?" guessed the interrogator._

_"No, not exactly. It almost felt like they were trying to change it. It sounds freaky but I stopped seeing everything else. I could only see white and I sensed something warm and bright," one hand went up to her forehead as she remembered this with some difficulty._

_"Okay," the brunette nodded cautiously, impulsively feeling her friend's arm to see whether she was sick._

_The gold eyes narrowed at this act._

_"Like I said," her voice became more brisk, losing all mistiness._

_"Sorry, but you can't expect me to not be at least a little surprised," the green eyed maiden added quickly, "But if it was really that bright and all, why did you nearly pass out?"_

_"Did you forget it was warm?" inquired the Yuki Onna testily, "And, it felt bright, but also toxic. Like maybe it was trying to be pleasant when it actually felt creepy."_

_" 'It'?"_

_"The aura I felt."_

_She cast a dark look at the crisp, round form of the moon and was surprised for not finding it too anomalous before._

_When both pairs of ayakashi eyes were staring at it, the spot on the grassy ground, near Kappa's pond where the light was most concentrated, and a breeze was blowing, exploded._

_This did not happen in the literal sense. It was like the air surrounding it when the wind went by, was forcefully disbanded. It rebounded on the surroundings with cyclonically more force and started pulling the other trees' branches so roughly that it scraped the wood which served as their coating, revealing the yellow of the chipped bark to patch it._

_It had started howling as well. An out of control, ghostly sound, that was not too different from a huge suction pipe. It whipped around to the two ladies whose clothes suddenly began to move to and fro. Both of them clamped their hands down when they had previously been near their faces and now, the gales took their chance to whack the skins on their faces, with their beautiful luscious hair as they closed their eyes tightly, hoping it would stop. The brunette, with her voluminous locks had a particularly bad time of it and bent her head in an effort to protect her face._

_Then, amidst the whistling, they heard an unearthly sound filling up the rhythm of the wind, just as Kejorou had opened her mouth to say something. By this time, the wind had started slamming against the shoji of the other doors and confused voices, louder than the melody were coming from inside._

_It sounded like it was coming from a fiddle, played in a very slow (intended to be soothing) tempo. The torrents of moonlight seemed to fade into those of sunlight. Then, there was a big burst of smoke, golden in color but with all the dirt also blowing around, it was reduced to mustard yellow._

_"W-What?" Tsurara asked in disbelief, at no one in specific._

_The mist cleared very quickly thanks to the turbulence and their eyes met a glowing figure in a white feathery suit. It looked like an armored soldier, except that the armor was made out of bird wings, pure white and accompanied by a white eagle head as its helmet, and the beak had vertical slits for eye holes. The wings were angelic, folded at his back and eagle talons were its boots. It too would have been mistaken for a cosplayer, were it not emitting magenta colored steam from all of its body._

_It held a double ended spear, lined by a cyan color and both ends were what looked like beaks of kingfisher._

_The Yuki Onna's eyes were fixed on the new arrival while Kejorou hurriedly looked behind as Tofu Kozo, Natto Kozo and Ko-Oni came out of their rooms in confusion._

_"Guys, what's with this st- EH?" Natto's pupils shrank to pinpricks when he caught sight of the new arrival._

_The air was filled with what felt like the total opposite of youki and Fear. To a normal human it would feel relieving, strengthening and bright, at least at the initial experience. To the yokai, it felt tainting, degrading and corrupt and gave an ominous feeling of their power being drained._

_None of them even realized when it happened: when he attacked. The reason partly lied in the smaller ayakashi looking to the ladies for help to prevent themselves from being taken by the wind._

_In Yuki Onna Tsurara's eyes, the next moments were but flashes._

_A wood splintering slam._

_A trickle of blood._

_A toxic symphony._

_A stream of natto._

_"Cursed Blizzard: Blanket of Snow!" she yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth._

_A huge cloud of freezing mist escaped it and went riding the wind to the feathery warrior. But he merely waved at her before it reached him and then dissolved into the winds themselves._

_Gritting her teeth, she turned to the longhaired ayakashi around whom the other three were crowded. As gold eyes spotted the blood drops staining the floor, the rest hugged their shoulders, at the sudden drop in temperature. Meanwhile, __Tofu Kozo walked over to where the spear had penetrated the pillar, only to see it dismantled into nothingness the moment his hand reached out for it._

* * *

_"It's a good thing I didn't leave today then," said the top medic of the clan, the ecru and navy haired, scarlet eyed yokai, Lord Zen as he finished bandaging the brunette's fore head._

_She nodded in thanks and blinked a little weakly at the bright light in his room._

_The Yuki Onna sat at the left of the injured party, who had briefly closed her eyes, both hands on her laps, and on her right sat a yellow blond man in whose hands trailed a red string, Kubinashi. With a look of sincere concern, he put his hand on her shoulder._

_A wood grating noise told them that the fusuma was opening._

_The redwood-skinned monk, Aotabou along with the fair skinned, blue-eyed monk, Kurotabou then entered the room._

_The snow woman sighed, knowing that even though she and Ko-Oni had explained it to them before, she may have to narrate it all over, admit how she and Kejorou had been caught off-guard so severely._

_But, surprisingly, they asked no such question. The one with the brute strength merely folded his arms, standing a few feet from the door and the Assassin monk went to one side and leaned against it._

_"I really am fine now. Thank you Lord Zen," Kejorou lowered her head to thank him once more, although she put more emphasis on her condition so she would stop attracting this much attention._

_"Well, hopefully it'll heal soon. It didn't do the damage it would have if you hadn't moved your head in time," he commented in a grave voice, "On the other hand it seems we have another enemy to deal with."_

_"And a pretty sneaky one considering how they surprised you guys," added the white eyed Strike Team leader._

_"Yuki Onna, tell us again what you felt from him," requested the other Strike Team leader._

_"It wasn't Fear. I'm sure of that," answered Tsurara, turning her head back to look at him, "It was even more…**appalling** than what onmyouji can do. It had the same effect on me the sunlight does only, it was more disgusting."_

_For a Yuki Onna, as a snow yokai, the daytime not only decreased her power like all other ayakashi, but due to the radiation of the sun, she would need to use more of her Fear for her snow to have the same effects that it had at night._

_"Hmm," pale index and thumb reached upwards to stroke Zen's chin, "Did anyone tell Rikuo about this?"_

_"The Young Master is asleep. We can always tell him in the morning and besides, what's the point in waking him up when the enemy's already gone?" with a startled look from Kejorou, Tsurara interjected quickly._

_The brunette's eyes softened a little upon seeing the panicked look on her fellow aide's face. Of course, the head aide blamed herself. She had a knack for spotting her own faults in mishaps but rarely did she ever relate them to other factors and judged herself alone for it. She probably thought that had she taken the now injured Kejorou back inside, right after stressing that the environment was dangerous, none of this would have happened. If the green eyed lady made herself think of the other things Tsurara could be pinning on herself, it would make her want to shake the snow yokai until she had none of her icy breath left._

_"No point at all, huh? I knew you'd react like this," the hand on her red bordered kimono tightened._

_"Kubinashi, it can wait until morning," snapped she to the neck-less yokai, for now thinking of siding with Tsurara._

_"Y-Yeah, maybe," his voice seemed quite awkward, "But I'm not the one who said that," he then pointed his head to what was making him so uncomfortable._

_The other heads snapped backwards to the opposite end of the room where yet another figure leaned with his back braced on the wall, clad in his trademark red haori and black yukata. In response, his crimson eyes briefly met with all other pairs present._

_"Did you really think you could keep me in the dark on this?" he asked them all, his gourd haired, multicolored head turning to stare at the women._

_"M-Master, we only-!" burst out his closest aide but was cut off._

_"I want you to tell me this whole story properly. That's an order, Tsurara," he murmured quietly_

* * *

Last night had been quite the hassle indeed. Then she had had to deal with a school day as her master's bodyguard, made exhausting by only one class. Furthermore, at present, the master had insisted on checking in with Ryota Neko, out of interest in the identity of that annoying, ridiculously persistent child. By the time they had gotten back to the Main House, she had given up trying to talk him out of it. Was he going to engage in the plight of every yokai he met? It was an unnecessary burden, especially considering how deeply involved and worried he had been last night.

_"I swear you shall pay!"_

As his most devoted servant, it was completely right for her to want to teach that girl a lesson for saying that but, rationally thinking, he should not be letting it bother him. His Fear and repute was enormous and increasing every day. Many envied him, many wanted him dead, and he would not even bat an eyelid when facing the gigantic form of those enemies. One line had troubled him so much.

She, in her yokai form again, set off with Aotabou and the Third Head while the sun was a little way from sinking and the sky was predominantly vermillion, once again dotted with violet clouds. When one passed the point where the Snake Woman stood on watch with snakes on her shoulders, the next hundred meters would bring the seeker to Bakenekoya, the restaurant located on Bakeneko Alley, with the most exotic treats for festive yokai.

Having immense space on the inside, with elevated walls but no ceiling, and great corridors going through the entire eatery, it had only grown more popular after the defeat of Abe no Seimei as many yokai had repeatedly come to celebrate newfound peace.

* * *

The trio from the Main House did not wait when welcomed by Saburo Neko and Ryota Neko and immediately the Young Master requested a private spot for the latter and them to converse. Somewhat disconcerted, the head of the restaurant complied and took them to the same storeroom his employee had taken the unwelcome girl, in. There were few unpopulated spots outside.

"Ryota Neko," addressed Rikuo Nura, solemnly, "I need you to tell me if you know of a person called Murasaki,"

Brown shine-less eyes widened upon hearing that name, accompanied with a grunt of surprise. Then, they narrowed and stared at the floor.

"Master, may I ask where you heard that name?" he voiced lowly.

"I asked you first," persisted the boy his height.

He sighed as the Yuki Onna and Strike Team Leader stared at him expectantly too.

"She was this really small girl. I presume she's the one you're talking about," he said, trying to stall for, he did not know what.

The only extra time he got was one second as the one in front of him merely gave a single nod.

"She was with the Kyuso Clan. But, ever since they were taken out, she's been coming here about two times a week to ask for work. She came yesterday too. Said she didn't want to work for them and wanted to do everything to help us, to thank us for fighting against them. But we know that she was in charge of gathering intel from the Nura Clan and once they got enough with her help, they made their move against you. Against all of us.

You see, she's only one eighth yokai," he was forced to continue as prompted with a nod each time he finished his third sentence, while the expression on the bodyguards' faces showed disbelief. They also showed signs of interrupting, but stopped with a backward glance from the brown haired Third Head.

"So there had to be a good reason why she worked for them instead of getting eaten. We weren't risking her infiltrating here. So we've been rejecting her but until yesterday, she kept coming back. That's the thick of who she is," he finally finished, "Oh and her full name is Hisako Murasaki."

"She'd been spying on us?" asked Aotabou loudly, resulting in a sharp gaze from both the Yuki Onna and his master.

Sure, I missed that rat lurking around, but I was a little busy trying to hide from Master's friends! He thought confusedly.

"She had. The rats that got into the Main House that day, both the errand one and the other, she said she helped them. I already told you why we believed her. See, without the Kyuso Clan, she's out of commission. That's why, right now, she's not a threat,"

"I see,"

"Did something happen today, Master Rikuo?" Ryota Neko thought it fit to have his question answered now.

"She came to my school. And according to everyone there, she got something worked out with the principal and began to teach for today," Rikuo answered, in thought.

"She taught at your school?" The Bakeneko's eyes became saucer wide.

"It was only for today though. And she met me after school and told me that if I wanted to know more about her, I should ask you," the Third Head explained further.

"So she went directly to you, but chickened out from asking for your support herself," assumed Ryota Neko.

The trio did not answer to that.

"Thanks. We'll be going now,"

* * *

Now turning lavender, with the sun's vermilion growing lighter and lighting it up from below, it looked as though a purple piece of wool was on hot embers. Oddly enough, rather than twinkling to life, it seemed the stars were slowly fading in to focus: each time one would look at the darkening ceiling, they would see very tiny, barely distinguishable black wisps, and if they looked in the same position again, a dot of white would slowly form right before their eyes. Since it was winter, the lavender was quickly turning pantone blue.

"1/8th yokai," repeated Yuki Onna once they were near the Main House, "Master, is this why you're so interested in her?" she directed at the bespectacled leader.

"It's not that. Remember when she said I would pay? She said it right after you mentioned what happened last night. How and why, would she know anything about that?" he inquired with focused eyes, looking at her on his left.

"If you don't mind my saying so Master, it seemed like she was going to come talk to us before Yuki Onna started on that," contradicted Aotabou.

"But she wasn't in such a hurry before. When Tsurara got to the part about the white smoke, she ran towards us. Also, how can a little girl, no matter how much she's learned be allowed to teach at a Middle School? Face it, we don't have any other leads, and we know that she's been getting around a lot,"

After hearing this, neither of them had anything to say that could be called a reasonable objection.

The Young Master looked up at the moon shining tonight as well, as they walked.

"By the way, when did Grandpa say he'd be back?" he turned to Aotabou, while the snow woman too looked up warily at the sky.

"He was only going for a few days. He should be back next week,"

When they reached the Main House once more, the Young Master had already shifted to his taller, gourd-haired yokai form. While the Yuki Onna hurried to the interior, mumbling passively about getting dinner preparations started and helping the injured brunette, Aotabou stood close to Kappa's pond, folding his arms. The Third Head leapt up on his preferred Sakura tree and braced his elbow against one knee.

The blue clad monk did not move but just stared fixatedly around. Seeing this, his master smirked.

"Get inside, Ao," he ordered flatly.

"Third Head, I-" the Strike Team leader protested, losing his fixated cool.

"I'll be fine,"

He sighed, knowing there was no arguing back against Rikuo Nura once he got like this. Caring to take his time in his walk, he stomped off with slow, careful steps. Therefore, it took him a couple minutes to walk from the pond to the porch. Glancing behind as the wind shifted the petals of the majestic tree, he was about to let out another, frustrated sigh but thought better of it.

For a little while, the evening was rather peaceful, the cricket sounds mixing in with the fresh night air. Scarlet eyes remained fixed on the sky, as though their owner was waiting for something.

Then they closed and the young Nurarihyon seemed to get tired of waiting. He exhaled and briefly went over everything his trusted aide had told him about what she had felt yesterday night. Black fog surrounded his silhouette, the wisps being shorter than what they would be if he were in battle. His Fear spread into the surroundings like a mist. Even the whistling of the wind became more ominous and physical processes like ripples on the pond or swaying of the trees became louder, as though amplified.

After a little while, Rikuo opened his eyes and smirked again. Just as he did so, all the sounds seemed to be muted like the previous time. Although the atmosphere was still frighteningly ominous, a rather still air mixed in with it. Had an ordinary human been here, they would have been suffocated due to the pressure of supernatural relativity. The quarter yokai himself felt something very close to how the snow woman had described: something bright, and peaceful, but only so in a fake way trying to fill him up. The mists around him became thicker and darker as he resisted it with comfortable ease. The more he concentrated on his own Fear, the better he could hear the sounds, discovering that they had not actually been robbed from the environment.

The Third Supreme Commander looked at the moon closely, though he did not need to, as he found both the sphere and its rays equal to a gigantic flashlight.

"Well then," he muttered with a slight laugh, "Let's get started."

* * *

**Author Notes: I know the new "people's" power seems vague and all, but it becomes more defined later on. My apologies once again, for letting the OC waste so much of you great readers' time, but she is just a tour guide in the story. At least for now. **

**Please rate and review this needy rambling! :(**


	4. Bright Greeting

**Disclaimer: Characters may appear stronger. Scenes may be changed from canon. Certain descriptions may belong to already released media.**

The sun and the skies' current appearance could easily be likened to the hues of a fire. Not a campfire, but the type that devours buildings. The top most layer of crimson however, was slowly beginning to dissolve into the indigo that was steadily spreading across it.

The old, imperial capital of Kyoto, christened so for a thousand years, was now a highly developed city with its many modern glass paned centers. Those and the other buildings were also starting to bathe in orange. Orderly, slick, and square, they also had many lighting systems around them, which were twinkling to life. It would soon be dark and then the glorious nightly brilliance of the metropolis would be revealed to any and everyone capable of birds' eye view. After all, the very beauty of this area was what made the supernatural beings here, envy humans for being the dominant species.

In a relatively silent residential area, atop a peaceful, gently sloping hill, stood a grand, western-style mansion. Its entrance was marked by a huge pair of metallic gates. Vines crept up and surrounded its walls and the wind blew ominously, rustling the strands of all the grass present in the huge front garden. Also equipped with a spectacular balcony, supported by two copper colored, glossy pillars, it housed the mentioned supernatural beings who were the most influential of their kind.

Two of them sat on this balcony, separated by a round table, the place also glowing with the crimson of sunset. One was a long and wavy haired girl with large yellow eyes, clad in a radiant kimono with pink sleeves. Her hair was very thick, tinted with blue and nearly covered her height, despite being elevated above her head. Her hands were occupied in supporting a tea plate and a teacup from which she drank and her dreaded weapon, a skull with snakes slithering around, in, and out of the sockets, resting on the clothed table.

"Onee-sama, what happened to you last night?" asked Kyokotsu, the feared stealer of eyeballs.

The person whom she was addressing, was seemingly a school girl. Dressed in a pitch-black uniform, with only the white bow standing out from the dark sea, black hair, black tights, black shoes and bistre colored, shine-less eyes, her paper white skin complementing her darkness so beautifully that it gave off an aura of elegance, she emitted an intimidating vibe, even with a smirk. The infamous Hagoromo Gitsune, the reincarnation vixen who had ruled Kyoto for a millennium, smiled.

"I had an...ah, unexpected appointment, last night," she answered in a misty, yet clear voice.

Her aide continued to stare at her with wide, curious and expectant eyes, but the ayakashi mistress did not elaborate. Instead, she picked up her glass and took a sip of her red tea, directing her face to the diminishing sunlight.

She wondered whether the moon's unusual turn from its cycle would continue. The previous night of which Kyokotsu spoke, had had an irritatingly radiant ball of white light. What she had witnessed had interested her so thoroughly that she may have looked somewhat inattentive to her subordinates.

It was however, clear to her that her late son had left her something of a parting gift or had clearly intended it to be that. Also, her tendency to curse the ones who thwarted her plans had too been passed on to her child or so it would seem. Seimei... although sliced through by Nenekirimaru, she could have sworn she had seen the faintest hint of a smirk on his face. It would have been, and was, so easy to conclude that she had imagined it.

Of course it may not be necessary that the perpetrator was him. She had heard nothing implying these developments in most talks with him, post rebirth. All she really had to believe in this, were the words of the winged stranger, and his oily, highly skeptic manner.

"O-Onee sama?" a high pitched, uncertain voice jerked her out of her thoughts and she looked back at the yellow eyed girl, "Are you sure everything is alright?"

Her brows were furrowed and she looked worried. Her hands looked like they had simply been holding the red tea in the same position for a while now.

"We'll know in due time," deciding not to sugarcoat things, the Lady of Kyoto gave her as uncertain a response as her underling's tone.

It seemed to work: even she went into thought for brevity, finally, shakily lifting the cup to utilize its main function. After a minute or so, she made a confused face and looked back at her superior but now knew not to ask further. _For now, _the black beauty mused, _he and I are the only ones with such Fear. Or was that another attempt to mislead me, Seimei? It's clear that not even you had the full grasp of the matter…_

Dark blue was slowly replacing blazing scarlet, and was slowly quelling the brightness outside.

"Kyokotsu," she addressed in a sharper voice, putting the cup and plate down on the table. The girl who had too almost finished her tea gave a start and looked up inquiringly.

"Send Sojobo to me," her mistress ordered.

"U-Understood!" she grabbed the skull, got up and bowed. Then she quickly excused herself from the balcony.

* * *

A little while later, the skull wielding yokai's position had been replaced by the white haired, white bearded, Great Tengu of Mount Kurama whose stature and great wings would have overshadowed her anyway if she stayed.

"You called, Mistress?" he asked in a heavy voice, his arms going inside the sleeves of his yellow clothing to meet each other.

"You return to your subordinates tomorrow," his mistress said softly, evidently not in any rush, "It would be appropriate to give you some more instructions before you leave,"

Upon hearing this, he assumed a more comfortable spot while still standing, away from the door and beside a pillar.

"Would you happen to know of a white Tengu, perhaps in your faction?"

"A white Tengu?" for the merest flicker of a second, his voice reached a high pitch upon repeating this but his face lost no composure, "I don't believe so. Why is it that you ask?"

"What can you tell me about them?"

His question being ignored, he was also forced to indirectly admit that he had answered the second part of the inquiry specifically_ and she had noticed.

"There have been whisperings that are not even fit to be called rumors, but mere lies told to frighten. It is said that if a White Tengu appears at any time in the night, if it is allowed to spread its influence, yokai will lose some of their power and temporarily, the ability to summon their Fear. However, it is a mere story. Were it true, we would have been assaulted already."

"You seem quite sure."

"I see no reason why they would not take advantage of our supposed vulnerability against them earlier. If I say so myself, nearing the end of the Nara era, their mention was more frequent among humans who were terrified of our dominance," he elaborated crisply.

Hagoromo Gitsune briefly looked down at the table, able to see just fine even though night had truly fallen.

"Very well. I would order you to avoid further neglect of these legends and keep closer watch. Surely you must have sensed a certain change in the atmosphere," she commanded and got up from her seat.

Sojobo bowed low, twisting his staff to hold it in a horizontal manner, his wings more prominently protruding from the gesture. Then he crossed the doors from the balcony and exited.

'_Listen Mother!'_ his words came back to her though they had little to do with the matter at hand, _'Weakness is foolish and ugly! Fools commit foolish acts so they are unnecessary!'_

'_Hagoromo Gitsune, foolishness is the vague definition of attempts to accomplish useless desires.' _A new, much more recent voice crept into her thoughts for which she held little more than superb disdain. Gritting her teeth, she went over more, ahead of the part hinting her offspring's hand in this. '_Discipline has faded precisely because we were foolish enough to trust the words of your kind. Time has come, for the world to return to what it originally was.'_

If the time had come, the returners would come soon enough. _I wonder if you believe this accident was entirely due to any acumen of yours, my child..._

* * *

Yura Keikain considered herself at least a relatively, if not supremely experienced individual with supernatural influences trying to interfere with her mind. It was now a fully fledged evening and she was at the park, dressed in her cream sweater and blue uniform skirt with both hands loosely gripping the chains of a swing. Called here by the leader of her club Kiyotsugu Kiyoujuji, she had to admit it was highly unusual of him to be a whole half hour late. Saori and Natsumi had been generous enough to leave him with no more than a headache, thus, they could hardly be expected to cooperate this time. So it had been only her and the soccer beast, Jirou Shima agreeing to meet with the leader. Rikuo Nura had gone home without meeting with anyone else after the bell. Kana had politely rejected the expedition as well, saying she would rather stay at home this time- as well as having avoided all of their eyes when prompted to explain why.

But there was not much of that as extraordinary as the feeling she had right now. She remembered having attended a _different _Math lesson than usual but the details were trickling away the more she tried to hold on to them. Her brain had just accepted whatever had happened during it and only now were the questions popping into her head. Who was that girl? What had happened to her face? Just how old was she? How could she know so much? How could she possibly get a license to teach there? And why, _why _had nobody, not even she, as a student, thought of it earlier, like when coming back from school?

They had just not occurred to her at the time. She had, in a way, followed the 'teacher's' lead, taken everything unusual into her stride. And, so had everybody else. Moreover, now she was barely left with any memory of the lesson except the content she had learned.

Now it had been 3 quarters of the hour. There were no signs given that they were coming: she had not even heard any buzzing from her doll phone, kept in her bag. With dull resolution, she leapt off the swing and started to walk outside the park. At least she would have a topic to distract Kiyotsugu tomorrow if he showed up tonight and found her nowhere.

* * *

Clad in a feathery kimono rather than the feathery armor this time, the white being shone and gleamed from his every pore. His helmet was replaced by a grey mask with ornately carved turquoise markings, which revealed wisps of smoke from where his hair was supposed to be shown. He also had a beard and a mustache, both in white over his translucent skin and both appeared like dazzling fire, rather than hair.

Tapping his cyan spear impatiently on the pebbles which surrounded the pond at the base of the Sakura tree, his gold, pupil less eyes stared up at the young ayakashi who seemed not the slightest bit dazed by the intensity of his radiance to which even the abnormal moonlight paled. It was understandable as the youth gave off a rivaling aura of darkness, the whites of his scarlet eyes, already black and his silhouette, radiating mists of the same color.

"Smile all you like," said the masked man, sneering back, "I see you are barely keeping yourself away from my realm...excellent proof of my ascendancy," he shook his head in a suave manner and then resumed staring.

"And I see you barely know who you're dealing with," replied the part yokai in an equally prideful tone and equally intimidating voice.

Black swirls thudded against white fog at the moment both sides had finished speaking. Though no visible disturbance came from the collision, the sound of thunder striking was heard from that point.

"I have come to make no deals, while we are on the subject. Nor have I any craving for a fight tonight. Nothing will save any of you in due time, so a battle is unneeded,"

He twirled the tall, dual-ended spear with only one hand, spun it around and slashed in the Third Head's direction with such sudden ferocity that the wind released from the strike even shook the surface of the pond. As for the air, two long chains of what seemed like real silver pearls shot through it, aiming straight for the face. Unflinching, their target merely blew from his mouth and the next moment, the chains were swallowed up by cerulean flames. These traveled through their matter so quickly that they incinerated them in mid air. Burnt to crisps, their scattered black chunks fell clinking down on the grass.

The winged person blinked. Then he cast an annoyed gaze over the bright red superior sake cup whose blue glow was now fading.

"Well," sighed Rikuo Nura, bracing his back against the trunk once more, "It seems you're pretty new at this. Considering you so nicely came here to give me a warning, how about an introduction?"

"A battle is unneeded," the adversary repeated and explained, "Since you won't have the chance to give one. We are enemies, impudent ayakashi. That's all you need to know,"

"Then why bother coming here? Apparently you've got nothing to worry about, wasn't that what you were saying?" the gourd haired yokai questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"A warning was deemed fair to give. We do not behave in as lowly a manner as you clingers to the obscurity," the pompous manner continued although the speaker was wondering how his dignity as a messenger could be robbed from him so quickly.

"Sure you don't."

Assessment of strength, up till this point, was enough. Now to relocate two birds at a good enough position to take them out with one stone-

"But we do not. It would have been in your best interest to learn more from the warning you received when the sun was up,"

For the first time, the young Nura's eyes widened slightly. Seeing this, the white one continued

"It can be understood from this point on that our preparations have begun. We will take back what we were rightly given authority over. Farewell, for what time you have left,"

After his departing speech, he let out a series of raspy chuckles. The chuckles grew into cackling as grey smoke began to cloud his figure. His eyes were closed and now he bent a little with shaking shoulders. Soon the mirthless sounds evolved into maniacal laughter. The smoke gained force too and whirled around the feather clad figure speedily. Then, like a comet, it shot with a loud BANG, up to the sky with speed of a firework, (taking the figure with it) vanishing into the clouds. Many thick wisps were left here and there in the garden.

* * *

"The night's still young..."

Straightening up on the tree branch, Rikuo cast one more look at the sky. It had returned to even more normality than he expected: dark clouds were now even curtaining the moonshine which had suddenly become a lot dimmer. He jumped down from the tree branch, unfolding one hand from his yukata and began to head for the pillars that marked the mansion's entrance.

* * *

**Author Notes: After a long delay, a chapter this short hardly does any justice and I must apologize. I have been rather busy. To elaborate on my disclaimer, I will say that characters are now stronger and hardly anyone, if I can help it, may be a pushover.**

**Also, I took a large part of the Light Novel's description of the Kyoto Yokai's mansion. I could not come up with better words as it was so well written.**

**Sojobo's character was the easiest to write. I sincerely apologize for OOCness, if any. Once more, many thanks to all those who have supported my amateur rambling! :D**


	5. Corroboration

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the series.**

**A/N: I apologize for delaying the update. And here I intended to keep it weekly.**

"Yes and above all, not all of it can be thought of with only imagination! Somewhere, somehow, they must have come across the real deal!"

It was nighttime and the reading room had only one lamp shining, a yellow bulb's light on the wooden study desk. A woman with her back to it in a black robe over a blue dress, with a head of grayed, wispy hair, was stacking the bookshelf with more hardcover volumes. On the desk meanwhile, sat the girl with a burned face and a single notebook spread out over her table.

"Honestly, ma'am Librarian! I mean, take the Fate series for example! It is much too close to the truth! The theories about majutsu and houjutsu, I mean! It actually gave me the idea of imposing a barrier on my sword, _how _can it be the author's own creativity ENTIRELY? I'm waiting for youkai Fear to become part of a manga, in fact, I've been waiting for it for a long time but, within my knowledge, none has been written yet!" the three-year-old fervently steamrollered on.

"I'm sure there's one out somewhere," remarked the librarian in a sleepy, yet low, hollow sort of voice. Then she stifled a yawn and turned to face the girl.

The mentioned girl flinched. The lady's face was a seaweed colored skull, with orange, glowing light in the eye sockets. Her hands too, looked like spiders of the same color.

"Hisako," she sighed in exasperation, "You and (forcibly) I have been at this conversation (largely one sided, mind you!) for more than an hour now, about how manga writers have been exposing secrets! I'm only putting up with you because I want the largest discount when you open that store you want to," her hands came to rest on her waist and a wind absent from the room, blew through her old hair.

Even if the wind had been in the room, the little girl's problematic fate would have ensured, as usual, that she got hardly a taste of a breeze. Shaking her head to regain the briskness, she moaned at the air.

"Thank you, miss, but I do need to be alive for that! Anyway, as we know- "

"Oi!" snapped the fleshless woman, "Enough! Aren't you supposed to be too tired to blabber on after what you had to use today?"

"I was going to start recapping the situation, madam," answered the tired one testily and banged a fist on her head, "I was followed, according to you."

"My books in your bag were, to be precise. I'm practically at the same rank as Tochigami when it comes to...uh, whatever belongs in this place," the lady pulled a seat back and sat on it, in front of the frizzy blonde, "But I wasn't able to tell who it was. I definitely sensed a presence. So, enough with the mistakes, what've you learned?"

The postage girl unclipped her satchel and pulled out a red file bag. She extracted a few black and white printed records from it and then spread them on the table.

"Tsurara Oikawa-san, rarely attending classes and has nothing much known. I was wrong to assume she would attend mine of her own free will so I had the principal issue a mandating alert," she narrated seriously, "The rest are up to expectations. And as expected, Rikuo Nura-sama leads a facade so radically different from his home life, even when his secret has been revealed, he fits in just as well!"

The librarian could tell that the member of her institution was trying hard to hide her incredulity and bitterness, but she was not succeeding.

"But no one asks for favors so casually anymore. Not present in the school file but I did a bit of observing in my time there,"

"Cut to the chase! What was it that attacked the Nura mansion?" asked the lady impatiently, banging the table once.

Hisako began gathering up the records.

"Our _friends_. The ones who always attack me, 'tis one of the first things I mentioned today," she now wrapped the papers up in the file and pushed it to one side, "Abe no Seimei, Nue was many things and he did many things. I'm still investigating this and do not know much definite yet, except that I have far more experience with these winged whites."

"Your theories?" the librarian's tone also became quieter and graver.

"There are many. Let us remember that I was the only victim, and I have done my best to confirm that fact. In the Heian period, sources say that Abe no Seimei encountered these people or species and nearly succeeded in bending them to his employment. In these documents, they are referred to as Ten no Tsukai," after explaining, the blonde quickly turned her head left and right, as though fearing that she would be overheard.

"A-Anyway," her paranoia was starting to affect her speech, "T-The reason I do not r-refer to them with this name is that i-it has been heavily criticized in discussions and it was decided that, were they really what they were r-referred to as, they would not have been influenced by a human, even if he was the legendary onmyouji himself,"

"And hence begins another mystery," the skeletal woman sighed again, "I thought the Kyuuso clan was the biggest of your problems. At least you became theirs too," she gave a swift smirk, which seemed like it was for approval.

The child briefly went into thought while the youkai in front of her tapped her fingers in a regulated rhythm on the wood surface. Then she looked up again and her eye sockets narrowed.

"Oi!" she raised her voice once more, "Don't be viewin' this as a chance to make redemption! Time for negotiations is long gone! Plus, you're suspicious enough as it is. I told you this wasn't a good idea! Attracting yakuza attention, especially the Nura Clan's, is nearly suicidal! They're not above killing the humans even!" she banged the table once more to make the urgency known.

"Those rats did not want to fight! Did anyone ever consider how many of them were forced into it, might I ask? Would HE, had I been there, even standing _idle_, let me survive anyway? After the Hundred Tales conflict, I should hardly be complaining about the Nura at any point, but considering how much I revered them... and then that whole...t-that was a colossal bonfire he made out of not only Kyuuso, but so many of his other underlings who had been talking to me only a few minutes ago!"

Puffing out all of her disturbed thoughts hoarsely at the slightly surprised skeleton, she began to pant at the table. She was tired enough without yelling and now she actually slinked to it with her cheek pressing against the cold surface.

"I'll tell this to him myself. I'll tell him exactly what I think of him, cons and pros," she said with resolve.

"Big talk," scoffed her superior.

Losing fatigue, the blonde's face snapped upwards. The wispy haired one was further surprised to see her teeth gritted.

Quickly, she shoved her belongings into her bag, making many clangs in the process, and stood up. She bowed respectfully to the librarian and nodded. After giving a thumbs-up sign, she began to stride towards the exit of the reading room.

"At least change into your youkai form!" called the old woman behind her.

"I am saving the youkai aura!"

* * *

Slinging her sword, covered in an unseen fluid, on her back, she walked through Bakeneko alley, nervously looking around, expecting herself to be attacked at any moment. What were they waiting for? They did not need a warning to kill a traitor. Or was it possible that Kyuuso's underlings had given up?

Maybe they would deal with her when they came back to power: the thought made her wince horribly.

The moon was rather hazy this evening, but it also meant that it smudged the sky more beautifully with its whiteness, as she saw, walking on a route to the formidable mansion. The moment she reached a point where she was sure the next two steps would reveal something of its appearance to her, a powerful gust of wind began blowing, its direction being behind here. Incapable of feeling normal breezes as she was, this one was filled with Fear, so it viciously began to whack the scabbed flesh of her patched face. Shielding her eyes with her left arm, she quickly turned, knowing there was something that gave this wind a barrier property too, and went back to take another path.

Then she turned again and went past the eatery's side. Given her way, she would love to meditate under the moon, build up even more power which never seemed to be enough in her case, but the library was also good enough: she was just too lazy and inefficient at working up the concentration and-

"Hisako Murasaki,"

Well that she obviously was, it was her name but... wait-

The husky voice which had just pronounced it like she had barely ever heard anyone say it before, sent violent shivers all over her body. Slowly she turned around, her gaze passing over the yellow lantern she had crossed.

"AAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" she yelled as loudly as she could upon seeing what was behind her but she was already so weakened and sore from her throat, she may have announced a greeting for a long lost friend.

Run, her instincts told her and she followed them. She jogged away from the spot but already knew it was no use. She was powerless against his Fear. Chains surrounded…no, it was like a wall made out of chains where the path was supposed to continue. Where could she run when there was nothing but black metal around her? Stopping hopelessly in front of the darkness, even though she knew the alley may continue from there, she lowered her head, wondering what would happen.

"What's the matter?" mocked the voice, "You were heard to be bolder this afternoon,"

The blonde moved back to her original position and immediately saw that the darkness covering the scene faded. Apparently, his intention had been to keep her from running away.

From the bright light of the lantern she saw the ayakashi, who, less often than others, had haunted her dreams. The main difference was that she was not trying to struggle against rough binds, faced with many projectile spears about to stab themselves into her. One was leaning against the wall, the bamboo hat which made his outline so recognizable, and those currently glowing azure eyes which made her actually feel like she was being pierced for... no, she should be jubilant that she caught their attention...

The other one was a blond man with no neck, also with a very large reputation. His amber eyes stared down at her and his finger curled around his string threateningly. From his companion's lesson, she knew not to look at him further.

She bowed to him respectfully and then looked at the ground, trying to sound professional and fiercely resolved to blow the trumpet on her own head if she dared to stammer.

"I apologize for the rudeness I exhibited at that time. It was a means of getting your leader's attention as no one else paid me any heed. Would you like me to elaborate?" she chanced a glance up at them to see their eyes narrowed.

"We've been hearing a lot about you today. Just what kind of game have you been playing in this area?" the second youkai's lighter voice asked in a quizzical manner, and she could be sure that everything he had heard made her sound like a sneaky, low crook.

She could blurt it all out to him, but why was it suddenly feeling like any and everything she could say, would be used against her? Her underdeveloped sixth sense said that no matter how much she explained now, she could not ally herself with them.

" 'Tis a game called survival," she answered but then her mouth fell open in shock after she heard herself.

The first mistake.

"I-I mean-!" raising a hand slightly, she continued, "T-These days, if you do not join a clan soon enough, you become a target of other monotonous ayakashi!"

Both their eyes narrowed even further. They were who they were: the reputed Assassin monk of the Nura Clan and the Stringer of Joshu, they must have already dealt with this type before. When they still said nothing, she nearly collapsed from the anxiety.

"Y-Your disregard for the consequences of your raids- that was what I said. Well, 'tis true, after you all wiped out the Kyuuso Clan's main quarters and there were many-"

"I'm _not _interested in what happened to the rest of them or your own miserable life story," the blond ayakashi cut her off curtly.

Had it occurred to her that he would not want to listen?

"What we want to know is how you're aware of what happened in the Main House last night," elaborated the raven haired one.

So they had easily caught what she had tried to imply. The question left her dumbfounded for a moment, as she tried to think of what to say next and stared at the surroundings for some time. If she talked, there was still the chance that due to that _wretchedness_, they would (there _had_ to be two?) consider her a liar. And if they did believe her, that meant they would have no further business with her, instead the clan would go to the Keikain. And eventually there would have been no point in her efforts. She was astounded that they had actually been sent here to interrogate her themselves.

"Talk. It won't end well for you otherwise," the monk, Kurotabou as she knew him also, tapped his staff on the ground.

She looked up again, thinking whether there was any hope left. Either way, from the impression she had already made without even trying, had she anything to lose?

"It has not ended very well in the first place!" she hissed.

Kubinashi, the blond and brown haired one, got off from the wall, his bangs clouding his expression.

"IF YOU ARE HERE TO LISTEN, THEN YOU WILL LISTEN TO EVERYTHING!"

As hoarse as her throat was, Hisako let out a bloodcurdling screech, pushing it past its limits to give volume. It still did not go as high as to rip apart the silence of the night. As soon as it escaped her, she coughed violently, and gripped her agonized neck. Fortunately, she looked up in time to see him walking towards her, not the least bit affected by her outburst.

One hand went to grip the handle of the blade on her back. This was dangerous: a minimum of 8 feet distance was required for anybody who wished to have a normal conversation with her.

"When you raided the Kyuuso hideout, I was watching it all," she said, drawing back as he stepped nearer, "I was aware of how many did not want to fight," she began to shiver more, her head being filled with those memories again, "I saw how many were trying to run away before they either got strangled by you and your partner courtesan," the hands around his strings tightened and she thought she saw him grit his teeth for a moment, "o-or frozen by the new Yuki Onna, or crushed and stabbed by the two strike team leaders, or hit by bullets of water from the Kappa. I knew it would happen, 'twas why I didn't come out to fight. A lot of them wanted help and freedom. Then, a good many were burned to crisps with the nice blue ring your leader created from that sake cup," she was even happier she could not see his or his partner's expression right now.

"They died trying to find ways for escape and maybe redemption. You killed them with a smile. We needed help. And I especially dared not to ask for it while I was snooping around for intelligence. I considered that intelligence largely useless as your heir was new to his position and had no defined style of leadership yet, and so, largely predictable. I was and am so full of admiration for the Nura Clan, and imagined it to be a new, fresher night when you took our superiors down. You killed so many of us in the meantime. Plus, I was left with a permanent stain on my own intentions. I just wanted an affiliation!" as she expected, her back hit the wall of a dead end.

At the same time, he stopped as well. She did not look at him again.

"In the same manner, your clan killed Abe no Seimei. You and the Lady of Kyoto. Neither of you took into account how much he had prepared for his return, how he already had something of a contingency plan. I do not know exactly what it is, but do consider, Stringer of Joshu, he was around since the Heian era. He explored, researched, conquered, imprisoned and he must have made deals or managed affairs that he would have done with the notion of eternal rebirth. With his return now seemingly impossible, the people he made deals with may now be taking advantage of this. And that was what I meant by the line 'you shall pay'. We all shall pay if those stories are true,"

She exhaled and waited for someone to answer. The tension was making her head wet with sweat. Her clasped hands were also slippery. It could be worse, though. As she had _yet _another problem of claustrophobia, she should be thankful he had not gotten closer.

These two were quite different in their behavior. She had suspected it before, the blond one had some personal motive for investigating whatever happened last night. He had this cold and ruthlessly interrogative look on his fair skinned, angular face while the other one had a reserved grace, clearly illustrated by how his bamboo hat hid his eyes.

"First of all," he said, slamming a palm on the wall above her head, while the black monk too, took a step near her, his teeth gritted, "Don't act like the tragic survivor of some travesty,"

He placed some emphasis with his tone on his words. With that, she remembered his background as the heartless killer, in his time.

"It isn't anybody's fault but yours that you didn't try to make your motives known because, when it's time to fight, those things don't matter. Those rats you're mourning so passionately, they didn't mind the slaughter of two human girls, did they?"

The three year old mentally griped. She had not thought of that. When they had spoken with her, they had only said they wanted to get out before they were forced out- and by that they meant, not just out of the district.

"And secondly, _don't _tell our master how to handle his fights like you know any better, little girl. It's easy to criticize and not be on the front lines, pretending that you've seen the worst,"

Hisako gasped in horror as he bent down. The realization was coming that her insolence lay in her words more than her manner of speech. She tried to push backwards but there was no fighting against the cement. Blinking, she slowly shifted her head to tell him to stop, please.

Amber's threatening intensity met her so violently that she literally blinked some tears out (to her annoyance, they had formed too quickly).

"If you needed help, you should have asked for it sooner. What else is anybody supposed to think, considering you only have the guts after your clan's banished?" although the voice was lighter, the words carried more venom than the other one's deeper voice had, "You don't think anyone can see through you? You're trying to cover up your own actions while working for them by saying that we're the reason you don't have anywhere to go. It doesn't matter how valuable the intel was, you were against us, and if you want to make redemption you should have started with an apology."

'Should have asked for it sooner'… That was one more misstep but she was trying to correct that.

'An apology'. Those words, foremost, echoed deafeningly in Hisako's mind. Memories of constant rejections threatened to stream into her head but she held them back with another gasp. Taking a deep breath while shifting her head upwards, she faced the Nura bodyguards directly.

"How many dozens of times have I apologized to Bakenekoya? I only want to HELP! I've told them that constantly! I apologize to you too, and was about to say so, were today the day your leader was interested in my request!"

"About joining the Bakeneko clan? I don't think so. Ryota Neko is right. You seem like the type of person who's way too naïve, easily influenced and conceited, no matter how young you are, since you obviously don't act like it. I wouldn't put it past you to betray us if you were offered a better position. That's why I didn't want to waste my time with that," he replied expressionlessly, "I only want to hear more of what you were saying after."

"I would not betray you!" the blonde squealed desperately, trying not to let the truths he spoke and revealed, affect her, "Keep your distance from me, with all due respect! 'Tis not safe!" she edged to the side and moved away from him until they were more or less, eight feet apart.

He did not try to stop her but stood up in her direction, folding his arms, his scarf swaying at his sides from the light breeze. The eyebrow of the assassin monk vanished behind his bamboo hat.

The proximity was the reason Kubinashi, who already seemed more furious, now hated everything about her. She did not know how to explain it in words, but it was imperative he cooperated.

Then, he let out a surprised grunt when she looked at him from that distance.

"I would not betray you! I'll do anything to prove that fact!" she yelled but began to cough again. It was more severe this time and she clamped a hand to her face as horrible crunching sounds escaped her throat.

"Do you think we're fools?" questioned Kurotabou coldly.

"Just who," the neck less youkai breathed, his eyes widening in astonishment, "_What_ are you?"

This question she was going to interpret as rhetorical. The effect of her distance was instantaneous, Kuroutabou was probably suspicious because of Kubinashi's behavior towards her.

"I will explain everything, _everything_. I just need to earn your trust," she spread her arms out in front of him in exasperation, "Please?"

"It's too soon for that stage of the plan, Hisa-chan!"

A voice that sounded genuinely foreboding despite the degrading honorific used, hoarse and low-pitched, boomed loudly from above the three youkai. The next minute, a blindingly fast, gassy comet of grey seemed to shoot towards the shortest one of the three and the rustling of wings and collision of talons with solid was heard. It was followed by terrified gasps, but they were barely heard before the comet of smoke shot upwards again, caring to release red flames in the direction of the string-wielder, the offender's wings beating powerfully in the sky.

"You were told not to make moves on your own with this clan! Imbecile child!" was the last roar heard before the gas and all its blinding white semblances faded.

* * *

Having swerved to one side, allowing the jet of flames to hopelessly heat the ground before dying out, Kubinashi's eyes narrowed very slowly, then moved towards his comrade who was walking towards him, hat raised between an index and thumb.

"It was almost instantaneous, but still," the amazed monk breathed, his orbs darting from the point where their mutual quarry had been, to the sky.

"There's no mistaking it. That voice…that Fear was-" relaxing his stance, the blond string wielder took a step backwards.

"It seems the Sanba Garasu were not successful in defeating him," Kurotabou deduced.

"Still, it's been months since the Shikoku incident, why would he show himself only now?"

"It's likely to be the reason why his appearance is so different. As well as his attacks."

Their gazes went back to the position which had floored the girl. There was a slight amount of blood drops on it but they moved neither of the two who had more pressing thoughts and were not even very surprised.

"One thing is for sure though. We identified another one of our enemies in this mess," the assassin monk turned and began to head towards the direction out of the alley.

"And to think I almost believed her. So this is how they intended to get us…" reeled off the neck less youkai in disgust.

"Let's go," called the other Strike Team Leader's voice, "There's much to discuss. I believe there's a lot of things only you found out tonight,"

With the promise of determined vengeance, he cast one last look behind him, then turned and duplicated the actions of his partner, turning his head side to side. The moon had not waned but its territory had been massively invaded by dark clouds in just minutes.

* * *

**A/N: So, I wonder how much confusion lay in this chapter. I go on about the sky a lot, yes I know. And I think we all know why Kubinashi is so angry. :P**

**Replies;**

Dennou Writer: "I have a feeling every chapter starts with the weather... õwô"

**I do have something of an obsession with it and lack of skill with beginnings but most of the chapters have been consecutive introduction and with intros I just inserted those comments. (This doesn't justify anything, I know :/ )**

Nayrael: "oh, so Hagu-chan believes that her Seimei-kun has returned eh? Well, she is a motherly person after all :D"

**Remember that this isn't the same Hagu-chan :D I called her that for her intro because I was not comfortable with Mother of all Yokai and that was her introduction. But this lady has had enough of her child (I think, she did kill him)**

Nayrael: "and the visitor finally appears and I do really like his character design!"

**Thanks! I had no inkling of hope any original design I came up with would be appreciated so it means A LOT! I'll have him read this if his identity is ever revealed. :)**

Awesome D.T: "But I'm still confused as to that winged person's identity. Just, what was it that Tsurara felt? Sounds scary."**  
**

**'Tis supposed to be confusing. 'Tis supposed to be scary for a youkai, be at ease fellow human. :P**

Awesome D.T: "I have a new found respect for Hisako now. Saori and Natsumi should not have said that about her. Poor girl, why doesn't anyone understand her? Will Hisako make any friends? Will she be paired up with anyone? Ha ha, it's funny to see a 3-year old teaching ninth and eighth graders advanced maths."

**Since I may or may not be kind to you depending on my mood, feast your eyes on this, curly.**

Hisako *bows repeatedly*: I-I... it is more than I deserve..._thank you_! "Awesome" does injustice to your noble spirit!_  
_

**Copied out of a movie no doubt but, good job.**

Nayrael: " forgot to ask before: is Murasaki an original youkai or based on another one?"

**Ah, I think I avoided answering this question. The answer is coming, yes, 'tis coming.**

Citsimsan: "So this story is in fact a continuation, since it happens after the defeat of the Nue. But what is Yura doing there? Shouldn't she be in Kyoto, attending her family matters? Oh, and good lampshade hanging on the situation with Hisako. That was what I was looking for! The good old lampshade hanging is the best tool!"

**Yura Keikain has come to repay Ryuji Keikain's evil teasing by dumping her duties on him! Hahaha, but that's only a small part of it, it will be revealed. Thanks for appreciating how I carried this story, thanks a million. But the lampshade is ending, though the curtain drawing might be coming.**

Citsimsan: " I still have problems with Murasaki's apparent age, though. With a more normal age she would have been incredibly fascinating, really. But I guess you decided that for a reason. Also want to know why she seems to admire the onmyoji."

**The title and hints address the age issue to some extent but that is not enough for the rational reader (just a term I came up with :P ). 'Tis coming, all of it.**

**Special thanks to Dennou Writer (sensei) for giving me a lot of support and advice regarding my writing, Citsimsan (sensei) for the pointers on the flow, Nayrael (sensei) for offering amendments on the very first chapter, and for all his support, chloe mcphail 94, and Necro-Pen for supporting so much! Particular thanks to Awesome D.T who, aside from favoriting, also practically built the idea in my head and threatened me to publish a story. I really can't thank any of you enough for putting up with all this rant.**

**Enormous thanks to all the silent readers! Again, I salute you all for even considering reading this amateur work. x)**


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