Chapter 35: Hagoromo Gitsune's Plan
When Gairōta fell in battle, it was not as though no one had tried to stop it—Kidomaru, for instance, had certainly wanted to.
Just a few moments ago, when Kidomaru was on the verge of being killed by Mahoraga, Gairōta had charged forward to save him. Because of that, before Gairōta was struck dead by Kaido, Kidomaru had desperately wanted to return the favor and save his comrade.
Unfortunately, he was completely unable to do so.
With Mahoraga blocking his path, Kidomaru could only watch with his own eyes as Gairōta was beaten to death by Kaido.
Even in death, Gairōta's eyes remained wide open.
At this moment, Kidomaru's face twitched uncontrollably. His eyes burned as if holding two blazing fires, his rage having long since reached its absolute peak.
Yet, all of it was completely futile.
Since his attacks had already been adapted to by Mahoraga, no matter how much he raged, struggled, or counterattacked, he still could not defeat the creature. Instead, he was thoroughly and utterly suppressed by Mahoraga.
Accompanied by a heavy, dull crashing sound, Kidomaru was once again sent flying backward. After crashing heavily into a wall, he collapsed violently onto the ground, falling into a semi-conscious state, entirely unable to crawl back up.
Yumesaki took in the situation and knew that Kidomaru had lost all capacity to fight.
He leaped down from the spectator stands, walked over to stand before Kidomaru, and extended his right hand to grasp the yokai's head. Pulling back slowly, Kidomaru's memories were instantly extracted by Yumesaki.
Once Yumesaki finished sorting through Kidomaru's memories, a sudden realization dawned on him.
No wonder Hagoromo Gitsune's faction had sent three powerful combat-oriented yokai just to capture the Nakiri family's Zashiki Warashi. As it turned out, Hagoromo Gitsune's side had an expert strategist among them.
The good news, however, was that this expert's level still wasn't quite high enough.
A Zashiki Warashi was an incredibly rare yokai capable of bringing good fortune to a household.
After Hagoromo Gitsune's faction discovered that the Nakiri family possessed a Zashiki Warashi, they planned to take the creature for themselves.
To prevent the Zashiki Warashi from committing suicide out of desperation, Hagoromo Gitsune had given the opposing side a single day to consider the matter.
But precisely at that moment, a yokai on Hagoromo Gitsune's side who possessed the ability to predict fortune and misfortune suddenly informed Hagoromo Gitsune that the Nakiri family was highly likely to resist.
His ability told him that if they only sent Kidomaru alone, it would not be secure enough, and there was even a chance of failure.
Therefore, he suggested that Hagoromo Gitsune send more experts to act together.
Hagoromo Gitsune agreed and subsequently dispatched a trio consisting of Kidomaru, Gairōta, and Ibaraki Doji.
This time, it should have been absolutely foolproof.
Including Hagoromo Gitsune, everyone thought so. As long as these three yokai advanced together, there was nothing they couldn't handle.
With a lineup like this, they could even launch an assault on the main headquarters of the Nura Clan and still return home safely.
Unfortunately, Kidomaru had no idea what kind of existence they would end up facing.
And so, they had failed miserably.
In addition, Yumesaki also discovered the true purpose behind Hagoromo Gitsune's invasion of Tokyo from within Kidomaru's memories.
On one hand, it was to exact revenge on the Nura Clan. Even in this world where yokai and Cursed Spirits roamed everywhere, Hagoromo Gitsune still harbored a deep, burning grudge against the Nura Clan.
On the other hand, she wished to completely conquer Tokyo and stage a grand Night Parade of One Hundred Demons right in the heart of the city.
As for why the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons had to be held in Tokyo specifically...
Even Kidomaru did not know.
Because this matter was not merely Hagoromo Gitsune's own decision, but rather the decree of the person standing behind Hagoromo Gitsune.
Though Kidomaru was not entirely clear on the inner details, he executed that person's directives with strict obedience.
As for who that person was, anyone who had ever watched Nurarihyon no Mago would surely know.
The figure behind Hagoromo Gitsune was, in all likelihood, the legendary Onmyouji... Abe no Seimei.
After all, in Nurarihyon no Mago, Hagoromo Gitsune was actually the mother of Abe no Seimei, namely Kuzu no Ha.
And Abe no Seimei was also the main antagonist in Nurarihyon no Mago.
This particular point was quite surprising.
In many anime, Abe no Seimei usually appeared as a protagonist, yet only in Nurarihyon no Mago did he play the part of an unprecedented main antagonist.
To even go as far as wanting to wipe out humanity and establish a world exclusive to yokai was indeed a bit absurd.
It remained unknown what kind of person Abe no Seimei was in this particular world.
However, judging by his desire for Hagoromo Gitsune to hold the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Tokyo, it seemed he wasn't a good person either.
Having understood the cause and effect of this incident, Yumesaki asked Nero to release Aestus Domus Aurea, and the group returned to the Nakiri family villa.
Yumesaki immediately informed Nakiri Senzaemon and Nakiri Erina of Kidomaru's objective.
Upon hearing that Hagoromo Gitsune intended to host the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Tokyo, Nakiri Senzaemon could not hide his shock, his expression turning incredibly grim.
One had to understand that the population of Tokyo reached tens of millions, making it the most prosperous metropolis in Japan. Holding a Night Parade of One Hundred Demons here would cause an unfathomable amount of destruction and casualties.
"Then what should we do now?"
Nakiri Erina looked at Yumesaki with a mixture of fear and anxiety, hoping that Yumesaki could provide a way to deal with Hagoromo Gitsune.
Yumesaki waved his hand calmly and said, "Calm down. Hagoromo Gitsune may want a Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, but the authorities aren't useless either. A place like Tokyo is full of hidden talents and powerful individuals. Someone will surely stand up to stop Hagoromo Gitsune."
"It's highly likely that right now, people have already figured out Hagoromo Gitsune's goal and are discussing countermeasures."
Hearing this reassurance, Nakiri Erina slowly let out a breath, her pounding heart gradually slowing down and returning to normal.
That seemed to make sense. With Hagoromo Gitsune invading Tokyo on such a massive scale, it was impossible for the authorities to remain oblivious.
Perhaps they really were currently discussing how to deal with that foul fox.
Their group didn't need to worry too much; the authorities would handle it.
The sky wasn't going to fall just yet.
Nakiri Senzaemon glanced at his granddaughter without showing any expression on his face. Unlike Nakiri Erina, who possessed a simpler mindset, Nakiri Senzaemon was a shrewd old fox.
He knew very well that since Hagoromo Gitsune dared to invade Tokyo, she must have something powerful to rely on. After all, the opponent was a yokai who had lived for thousands of years; if she didn't have a thoroughly calculated plan, how could she possibly launch a full-scale invasion of Tokyo?
The people from the authorities might not necessarily be reliable.
To take ten thousand steps back, even if the authorities were truly dependable, what they had to protect was the entirety of Tokyo. How much manpower could they actually spare to protect the Nakiri family?
Therefore, if the Nakiri family wanted to survive in the midst of this storm, they had to rely on Yumesaki.
Without relying on Yumesaki, their fate today would have only been one of two outcomes.
First, to painfully yield, handing over the Zashiki Warashi to save their own lives.
Second, to swear never to bow down, and be slaughtered to the very last person by the opposing side.
No matter which one it was, it would mean the absolute downfall of the Nakiri family.
But now, by relying on Yumesaki, the Nakiri family had instantly rewritten their destiny.
Therefore, this support pillar could absolutely not be let go; it had to be held onto with a death grip.
"Lord Yumesaki."
Having realized this, Nakiri Senzaemon's mood became exceptionally bright. With a face full of smiles, he pointed toward the unconscious Ibaraki Doji and the semi-conscious Kidomaru, asking, "I wonder how Lord Yumesaki plans to handle these two yokai."
Yumesaki replied, "Whether they are to be killed or let go, you can decide for yourselves. After all, they came for you."
Nakiri Senzaemon said without a hint of hesitation, "Those words are incorrect. Although they came for us, the ones who defeated them were Lord Yumesaki's people. Therefore, they should be completely processed by Lord Yumesaki."
Nakiri Senzaemon was fully aware that if one wished to lean on a powerful figure, one's posture had to be lower and slightly humble. Only by making the opposing party feel pleased could the Nakiri family remain safe and sound through this tempest.
Medea spoke up with a smile, "If that is the case, it would be better to hand these two yokai over to me. I happen to have a few experiments that require the cooperation of these two yokai."
She was highly curious about what the physical structure of a yokai actually looked like, and what kind of power Youki truly was. She planned to dissect and analyze them to see if there were any unexpected discoveries to be made.
"Sure." Seeing Medea speak up, Yumesaki decisively handed Kidomaru and Ibaraki Doji over to her.
Shortly after, Yumesaki took the opportunity to bid his farewells, but before leaving, he called out to Nakiri Erina.
"This time, Hagoromo Gitsune's subordinates failed at your estate. She definitely won't just let the matter drop."
"I also cannot be by your side to protect you at every single moment, so I plan to give you something to safeguard your lives."
As he spoke, a Shadow Warrior with a graceful physique emerged directly out of Yumesaki's shadow.
Nakiri Erina had already seen this Shadow Warrior earlier this morning, knowing that it was a Shikigami belonging to Yumesaki.
"You both saw it this morning as well. This is a Shikigami I created. Its strength is quite good, and it should be more than enough to protect you."
As Yumesaki spoke, the Shadow Warrior split itself into two, each slipping cleanly into the shadows of Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Senzaemon.
Nakiri Erina and Senzaemon were startled at the same time.
Yumesaki explained, "On normal days, the Shadow Warrior will reside within your shadows. If you encounter an enemy, it will come out to help you deal with them. In the event that the enemy is too strong, it will pull you into the shadow realm to hide from the threat."
"At that moment, you will be teleported right to my side."
"It guarantees absolute safety."
Hearing these words, Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Senzaemon immediately expressed their deep gratitude to Yumesaki.
"Thank you."
"Thank you very much, Lord Yumesaki."
Particularly Nakiri Erina; she felt deeply moved, her gaze toward Yumesaki becoming somewhat teary and bright.
Yumesaki noticed it as well. It seemed he had accidentally raised Nakiri Erina's affection levels significantly.
If he were to confess his love to Nakiri Erina right now, the likelihood of the opposing party agreeing would be incredibly high.
The cliché value of a hero saving a beautiful maiden was indeed remarkably potent.
Unfortunately, Yumesaki had no intention of confessing to her. At present, he had no plans to pursue girls, wishing only to eat and drink happily, play around, and spend every single day enjoyably.
Of course, if a girl were to confess her love to Yumesaki, Yumesaki wouldn't reject her either.
The condition was that the opposing party had to be willing to accept that there were still other girls by Yumesaki's side.
I can already traverse worlds, so why shouldn't I be allowed to open a harem?
After that, Yumesaki took Nero and Medea and turned to leave, returning to the apartment where they resided.
Medea took Kidomaru and Ibaraki Doji and excused herself, heading back into the magic Workshop she had constructed to begin researching the structure of the two yokai and their Youki.
"Praetor, I shall go take a bath first!" Nero said with a wide grin as she skipped into the bathroom. While soaking, she began to sing loudly, belting out a melody that was thoroughly potent enough to claim a person's life.
She genuinely believed her singing voice sounded wonderful.
It was an absolute disaster.
Just as Yumesaki was considering whether to step outside for a bit to avoid the noise until Nero finished her bath, Asuna suddenly sent him a message.
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