In the end, Meruem let Ryuuji leave with the already-unconscious Mami-ryu.
Meruem and his group were also invited by Night Rikuo to the Nura Clan headquarters, Rikuo's home.
"So this is the Nura Clan's main house? I've heard about it before, but it's my first time here. It's a bit small, but it does feel cozy." Meruem spoke honestly. In both the Hunter world and the Naruto world, he'd lived in massive castle-type structures. Compared to fortresses on that scale, the Nura residence was indeed small.
Strictly speaking, though, the Nura Clan's old house was quite nice. It wasn't as tiny as in the anime. Relative to a castle, sure, it was small, but since it could even accommodate the colossal fortress-beast Treasure Ship, its grounds were actually extensive.
"It's so small here—my apologies for that…" Night Rikuo said sourly. If Meruem hadn't saved Hihi, if not for the General's order, and if Meruem weren't so overwhelmingly strong that he himself had no confidence of victory, he'd have already taught this guest—who dared nitpick and mouth off in another's home—a lesson.
But the last point mattered most. Having seen Meruem's strength, Night Rikuo knew that against that kind of power and speed, even he had no assurance.
"Hey, did you hear? A bunch of onmyoji have come to headquarters."
"I heard the General invited them." "You think they'll exorcise us?" "Mom's an onmyoji—so scary…" Little yokai rustled and whispered from nooks and corners throughout the old house.
"Tsk, tsk. As expected of the Nura Clan's base, there are a few with decent strength. Let me think—among Nurarihyon's generation, how many great yokai are worth noting? Hihi, One-Eye, Gyuuki, the Yuki-onna Setsura, Mokugyō Daruma, and Karasu Tengu—these were the ones who held back Hagoromo Gitsune and Abe no Seimei's top yokai four hundred years ago. Even the non–front-liner Mokugyō Daruma could fight Kyōkotsu to a draw. Hihi fought the Keikain's top ace Kidōmaru to parity, and Gyuuki single-handedly stopped the Great Tengu clan. Karasu Tengu also battled Kyōkotsu to great effect. A pity—Nurarihyon's band weren't some nobly blooded lineage. Just four hundred years of time left their combat power greatly diminished. By contrast, among Abe no Seimei and Hagoromo Gitsune's side, after a thousand years, Kyōkotsu, Kidōmaru, and the rest had merely 'matured' a bit—like going from twenty to thirty at most."
"But why is it that Natto Kozō, whose bloodline doesn't look impressive, shows no signs of aging after centuries? Did he trade power for lifespan? As I thought, yokai longevity is a mystery." Meruem grumbled to himself.
Once they entered the Nura headquarters, per the General's instructions, the small yokai—though afraid—still treated Meruem's trio as honored guests. In their eyes, Nurarihyon's word was imperial edict.
"So you're the famed Lord of a Hundred Demons, Nurarihyon? You've got guts—hosting someone like me with unknown origins, and with an onmyoji among my companions at that. Exorcising yokai is an onmyoji's job. Aren't you afraid we'll make a move on you here? Is it only because I saved one of your officers?" Following orders, the small yokai led Meruem's trio to the Nura Clan's reception room, where the clan's central figure, Nurarihyon, waited. Meruem took an unhurried sip of tea and looked at Nurarihyon.
Strictly speaking, speaking first here ceded initiative, but Meruem disliked needless wrangling. Besides, what could they do to him? And to be fair, he'd done nothing against the Nura Clan—he'd helped them.
"Heh… Not just you—even your friend. You aren't of the onmyoji line." Pipe in hand, Nurarihyon glanced at the crescent moon and took a slow draw. "I may not understand onmyoji arts, but as their lifelong foes, we yokai are sensitive to them. Your friend's power also manipulates the five elements, but it's not onmyoji."
"Oh? Not bad. As expected of the Nura Clan's General, you have some skill." Meruem conceded. Almost every yokai and onmyoji in Japan believed the Uchiha belonged to the onmyoji tradition. Chakra ninjutsu had fooled almost everyone—even the current Keikain Shugen recognized the Uchiha as onmyoji. He hadn't expected Nurarihyon to see through it so readily.
For that insight alone, Meruem looked at him differently.
"I don't know your purpose, but you don't seem hostile to my Nura Clan. You've helped repeatedly, and even saved one of my senior officers. You've done us a kindness. Repaying kindness is our creed. That's enough for me. And with your strength—if you meant harm, what good would vigilance do? My little ones couldn't stop you." Nurarihyon blew a smoke ring.
"Interesting. Very interesting. So—what is it? You didn't invite me here just for tea, even if it is good tea." Meruem stroked his chin, amused.
"Hagoromo Gitsune—although I don't know your exact aim, I'd wager eight out of ten it's related to that great yokai." This time Nurarihyon's tone was less certain, with a touch of probing.
"And so?" Meruem didn't answer directly, but his meaning was close enough.
"I want to ask a favor."
"What is it? You want me to take down Hagoromo Gitsune?" She had some strength, but compared to Seimei, she fell well short.
By Naruto-world metrics, Hagoromo Gitsune was a top-tier Kage-level fighter.
But only a top-tier—nothing more.
"I want you to watch over Rikuo—and, if necessary, make sure he lives." That request surprised Meruem a bit.
But on second thought, it was natural.
In the original, though Nurarihyon let Rikuo go to Kyoto after training in the wilds to fight Hagoromo Gitsune, anyone could see it was a reluctant choice.
Because his vital organs had been eaten by Hagoromo Gitsune, a mere four hundred years had left Nurarihyon badly aged. Never mind facing a far stronger Hagoromo Gitsune—Nurarihyon now didn't even have seventy percent of his youthful power.
The Keikain, the Nura Clan, and Hagoromo Gitsune were four-hundred-year archrivals. Even if Nurarihyon forbade Rikuo to go, after finishing with the Keikain, Hagoromo Gitsune would inevitably clash with the Nura Clan.
Public duty or private feud—centuries of sealed hatred, and the mountain that cannot hold two tigers. The Nura Clan, lord of a hundred demons; Hagoromo Gitsune no less so. The Nura Clan was known as Kanto's foremost yokai faction; a battle between them was fate. Better to join forces with the Keikain while that friendship still stood and crush Hagoromo Gitsune and her faction in one stroke.
Just as they had centuries ago.
Rikuo Nura was Nurarihyon's only blood, his only grandson. They say grandparents dote on the third generation. If he could, Nurarihyon would never throw Rikuo into a pit like this. If he had to let him go, it would be after full growth, not when he'd barely begun to wield Awe.
The risk was beyond imagining—otherwise Nurarihyon himself wouldn't be heading to Kyoto. Tsuchigumo alone was enough to give the Nura Clan a massive headache.
Which was why he asked Meruem, despite the mystery around him. Nurarihyon hadn't reached his station without a razor eye and instinct.
As the co-protagonist of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, he could faintly sense the elusive, overwhelming power on Meruem—something even he could not match.
He didn't know why such a powerhouse had appeared.
"Simple. I'll keep him alive." Meruem agreed at once. To him, it was nothing.
Across so many worlds, with all his power held inward, only three had truly met him with weight and caution: Netero, the Sage of Six Paths, and this Nurarihyon.
The older the eye, the sharper the sight? For that alone, lending a hand in passing was fine.
"You owe me one," Meruem added as Nurarihyon exhaled a slow breath of relief.
"Of course."
In a newly built compound somewhere in Kyushu—
"Lord Musashi, where are you going? Please take me with you. I will serve you well." A strikingly beautiful young woman clung to the right arm of a black-clad Musashi, her red lips breathing warm, sweet air by his ear as she rubbed the two dangerous mounds on her chest against his arm.
A scene most men would never experience.
"Despicable, base woman." Beside Musashi stood another beauty with short green hair, glaring with obvious displeasure.
The Shadow Clan's leader, Rengoku.
And—
"Tamamo-no-Mae, I'm heading to Kyoto—your old friend Hagoromo Gitsune's turf. Interested?" Tamamo-no-Mae, one of Japan's three great yokai—and the ruler of Kyushu's strongest yokai.
(End of Chapter)
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