Morpheus watched the Karasu-Tengu fly off but didn't pursue it, as he wasn't here for the crow yokai.
His target was the supreme leader of the Nura Clan.
It took only a moment for Morpheus to locate the Nura Clan's stronghold in Ukiyoe Town.
The yokai aura was unmistakable.
In Ukiyoe Town, all one had to do was follow the densest concentration of yokai energy to find the Nura Clan's base.
After all, this wasn't just a handful of yokai—it was dozens, if not hundreds, their energy so thick it nearly formed storm clouds in the sky.
How could it not stand out?
At the Nura Clan's entrance, Morpheus found two yokai guarding the gate.
This was a slight deviation from the original Nurarihyon no Mago storyline, where he recalled no yokai guarding the entrance.
But now, there they were.
The two yokai hadn't assumed their true forms, instead appearing human, dressed in black suits and sunglasses. Coupled with the Nura Clan's sign hanging at the gate, an unaware onlooker might mistake this for a yakuza hideout.
Only those in the know would understand this was yokai territory.
Seeing Morpheus stride purposefully toward the gate, the two guard yokai exchanged a glance, surprise flickering in their eyes.
This was yokai turf, warded with spells to repel ordinary humans.
No regular person should be here.
Anyone who showed up was no ordinary human.
One of the guard yokai stepped forward, blocking Morpheus's path.
"This area is off-limits to outsiders. Who are you?"
Morpheus replied, "I'm here to see your supreme leader. Please inform him."
The yokai raised an eyebrow. "Do you have an appointment with our supreme leader?"
Morpheus shook his head.
The yokai pressed, "Are you a friend of the supreme leader?"
Morpheus shook his head again.
The yokai sighed. "If you're neither this nor that, I suggest you leave. This place isn't for you."
Morpheus smirked, sidestepping the guard yokai and continuing forward.
"Stop!" The yokai barked, lunging to grab Morpheus.
But before its hand could touch him, a surge of radiant Light Dimension energy sent it flying.
The other yokai, seeing this, roared instinctively, shedding its disguise to reveal its true form.
A Rokurokubi.
Its neck extended grotesquely, its gaping maw snapping toward Morpheus's throat.
Bang!
The next second, it too was blasted away, crashing through the Nura Clan's gate like a cannonball and tumbling into the courtyard.
The deafening crash alerted the entire Nura Clan.
As Morpheus stepped through the broken gate, yokai emerged from every direction.
Karasu-Tengu descended from the sky, Natto-Kozou scuttled out from corners, a Kappa leapt from the courtyard pond, Kejoro and Yuki-onna charged from the walls…
In an instant, the air and ground teemed with yokai, surrounding Morpheus.
They glared at the uninvited guest with displeasure.
"Who are you?"
A neckless yokai pushed through the crowd, stepping into the courtyard to help the fallen Rokurokubi to its feet. It stared at Morpheus coldly, its eyes brimming with unmasked hostility.
Morpheus, unfazed by the encircling yokai, remained utterly calm.
"Call your supreme leader."
Kubinashi, seeing Morpheus dodge the question and act imperiously, narrowed its eyes, a hint of killing intent seeping out.
Just as it prepared to strike…
"Well, well, what a forceful guest."
A voice came from the back of the yokai crowd.
At the sound, the yokai parted like the Red Sea, clearing a path.
A tall man with long, jet-black hair, dressed in a kimono, exuding a roguish charm, strolled down the opened path.
Kubinashi bowed slightly upon seeing him.
"Supreme Leader."
A flicker of surprise crossed Morpheus's eyes.
This roguish man wasn't the Nura Clan's first-generation leader, Nurarihyon, nor the third-generation leader, Rikuo Nura.
It was Nurarihyon's son, Rikuo's father.
In the original storyline, he was supposed to have died at the hands of Yamabuki Otome, the strongest of the Nura Clan's slippery ghosts.
The second-generation leader of the Nura Clan, Rihan Nura.
Though Nurarihyon was called the Lord of Pandemonium in the original story, the one who truly brought the Nura Clan to its peak wasn't him.
It was this charismatic rogue before Morpheus.
At his peak, Rihan Nura had annihilated the Edo Hyaku Monogatari Group led by Gorozaemon Sanmoto and repeatedly slain the Hagoromo Gitsune during turbulent times, forcing Abe no Seimei, then in hell, to ally with Sanmoto to eliminate Rihan.
Unexpectedly, in this chaotic world, Rihan Nura hadn't died.
Instead, he lived on, still holding the position of the Nura Clan's supreme leader.
That was surprising.
But that was all. Whether it was Rihan Nura or Nurarihyon, Morpheus didn't consider either his match.
Not even the entire Nura Clan.
Rihan Nura crossed his arms, closing his right eye and glancing at Morpheus sidelong. "So, our forceful guest, what brings you here?"
His words were polite but carried a cold edge.
Rather than asking Morpheus's purpose, it sounded like he was demanding an explanation.
Morpheus picked up on it but didn't care. He replied calmly, "Not long ago, a yokai ate me. It had quite the appetite, leaving only a single finger."
Rihan Nura blinked, caught off guard.
The other yokai were equally stunned. What did that mean?
Morpheus continued, "Because I'm an Ajin, I came back to life. Then, by a stroke of fate, I gained immense power. And now, I've come to the Nura Clan."
Rihan's expression grew serious. "Are you saying the yokai that ate you was one of ours?"
"Impossible."
Before Morpheus could respond, Kubinashi cut in firmly. "The supreme leader has strictly forbidden the Nura Clan from eating humans, though we may feed on their fear."
"I don't believe anyone would dare defy his orders."
Rihan patted Kubinashi's shoulder, signaling it to calm down.
"As you can see, our guest, the Nura Clan stopped eating humans long ago."
Morpheus's face remained impassive. "That's just your word. If you want to prove your innocence, find every man-eating yokai in Tokyo and bring them to me."
Rihan froze, then chuckled.